The Angel: Demonic Meklords
by bricann
Summary: Sequel to The Angel- It's been 6 months since the Dark Signers and Izoa were finished and since Yusei became an angel. As Yusei finishes his training and nearing the capability to tell his friends of his change, a new danger will arise. One that will have connections to both the Underworld and Earth. Can Era, Yusei, and the others defend the world before it collapses into darkness?
1. The Time of Flight

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 1: The Time of Flight

Era's POV

It had been six months since the Dark Signers and King of the Underworld disappeared and Yusei became an angel. Yusei had learned exceptionally fast and I was impressed. It took me a year in Angel Academy to get as far as he was. As of now, I was deciding on whether he was ready to start flying. He just needed to finish learning the angels' language and master the Demon Exorcist Spell. He had even come into the Afterlife with me a couple times to help rebuild for a bit. He seemed to really like the Afterlife. Even as much as I did.

May, Cornelia, Myla, and Yue were chosen to be the top new guardians with a couple others who were chosen by the four who knew them well. And because of them, more angels were being chosen than before, and even males were being accepted again.

Right now, I followed Yusei by flight as he drove down the bridge. We were talking in the angelic language.

" _Era, how much more of the language do I need to learn?"_ Yusei asked.

" _You're pretty much done. Just got to practice a bit more,"_ I answered.

He sighed. _"Really?"_ Yusei responded and he sounded annoyed a bit.

I grinned. _"I know it's boring. But you're learning pretty quickly. In fact, you're farther along than I was in a year of study at the Angel Academy,"_ I told him.

" _Really?"_ he responded.

I nodded. _"Now don't get cocky because of it,"_ I scolded.

Yusei laughed. _"I won't,"_ he stated. _"By the way, doesn't this count as practice?"_

I cracked up. _"You're impatient with this stuff. It's kind of strange compared to the Yusei I got to know,"_ I told him after I was done with my fit of laughter.

" _Well,"_ he responded sounding a bit embarrassed.

I grinned. _"But, yeah, in all honesty, it counts as practice,"_ I told him. _"But that doesn't mean we will never talk in Angelic again. We'll be talking in it to keep you practiced whenever we're around people we don't know and need to have a private conversation."_

" _Can't you just do that with mental conversations that angels can do? We haven't done that at all since I became an angel,"_ Yusei asked.

" _Angels can only talk to other people through telepathy. Humans and other creatures. But angels cannot talk to angels in that matter. It's hard to explain but being in the same mentality that is also more complex than the average human may contribute to the fact that angels cannot communicate telepathically with another angel,"_ I explained.

" _Huh,"_ he responded.

I sighed for a moment. _'He's ready,'_ I thought. _"Okay, Yusei,"_ I told him and he looked at me. _"You're ready."_

" _Are you sure?"_ he asked.

I nodded. _"I've actually been holding it off because I wanted to be, for a fact, sure. So yes, I'm positive you're ready,"_ I told him.

A call on Yusei's duel runner and he answered to see Crow, "Yusei, we're waiting for you to edit the engine so we can test it. Where are you?"

"Just with Era. I'm coming," Yusei told him in his original language.

"Ugh! You're always with her when this happens. Just hurry up or Jack will leave to spend more money," Crow stated before hanging up.

"What am I going to do?" Yusei muttered as he made way to the garage.

"Don't worry, Yusei," I told him. He looked at me. "We're almost done with training. You just have to learn some spells and finish your training in bringing out and killing a possessing demon."

"How have I been doing on that anyway?" Yusei asked.

"Extremely well," I told him. "I'm happy of how well you've done. It's impressive."

"Thanks, I think," Yusei responded.

I giggled. "To keep you up, remember," I said as we pulled up to the garage, "as soon as we're done training, you get to tell our friends about what's been going on."

"I'll be waiting for that day," Yusei responded.

"Don't worry, Yusei," I told him placing a hand on his shoulder while changing back into human form. "It'll come soon."

We walked in and Yusei and I looked as Jack and Crow were lying on the couch or sitting in a chair bored.

Crow looked up. "Where have you two been?" he asked.

"Just hanging around," I answered. It wasn't like I was completely lying. I was more being vague than lying.

"Where?" Jack asked.

"The Infinity Tower and the Overlook," Yusei answered. That was true. It was where we hung out the most while I was teaching him.

"Whatever," Jack muttered.

"Just get to work. We've been waiting," Crow followed.

I grinned and followed Yusei as he began to make the last edits to the duel runner. I added and suggested things here and there while Yusei worked, so it wasn't long before the engine was ready to be tested.

Jack got on and began to start the motor. As he accelerated, errors began to flash.

"Jack! Slow it down!" Yusei called over the noise.

"Speed up! Okay!" Jack responded.

"No! Slow down!" I retorted. But it wasn't seconds after that the duel runner engine exploded. I sighed as Jack stopped. "Jack, we said to 'slow down'. Not speed up," I told him.

"Well…" Jack started but the three boys' landlord shot the door open.

"Cut down the noise, will ya?!" she yelled.

"Sorry, Zora," I told her.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," Yusei added.

"Just keep it down please," Zora responded before leaving and shooing away the crowd that had formed.

"What do you two do to make her like you so much?" Crow asked.

"Not sure," Yusei answered.

"We're just lucky, I guess," I answered. Crow sighed. "On another topic, what're we going to do about this duel runner?" No one could respond before a knock sounded at the door and Trudge and Mina walked in. "Hey, Trudge, Mina," I greeted.

"Hey, guys," Trudge greeted. He looked at the duel runner remains. "What's that?"

"It's the remains of the duel runner we've been working on," Yusei answered.

"We're trying to be up to par for when we enter the World Racing Grand Prix," Crow explained.

"So what're you doing here?" I asked. "We all know you don't typically show up just to say 'hi.'"

"Have you heard about the Ghost?" Trudge asked.

"I've heard the rumors. Supposedly, he shows up and forces people into duels and causes people into crashes," Crow mentioned.

"With the tournament's new rules, people will be using Speed World 2 instead of the standard Speed World," Trudge said. "I want you, Jack, and Yusei's help to capture the Ghost."

"No! No! No!" Crow exclaimed rushing Mina and Trudge out the door. "We have too much to do to get ready for the tournament. Sorry but we can't." He shut the door behind them and locked it.

"Crow, that may have been a bad idea," I told him.

"They can handle it," he responded.

"Maybe," I agreed though it was obviously reluctant.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked. "Don't think they can deal with a criminal?"

"Even if a person with enough darkness to kill or is actually possessed by a demon, this isn't the normal actions of anything. A demon possessing a person would just kill or injure once in a while and try to gain power in the human world so people can be turned to the Underworld," I explained. "By the sound of it, the Ghost isn't following those rules. He's just killing and injuring to do so. Almost as if for fun. It doesn't make any sense."

"So you think there is something behind the Ghost?" Crow asked.

Yusei nodded. "It definitely would seem to reason that," he agreed.

"You act like you know a lot about demons, Yusei. More than me and Crow," Jack commented.

"Era told me more about life as an angel a few months ago," Yusei explained.

"Anyway, it's about noon," I stated. "I needed to take Yusei somewhere. But don't worry, he'll be back soon." Yusei nodded understanding what I was talking about.

"Where are you going?" Crow asked.

"Just downtown," I lied.

"Okay," Crow agreed.

"Come on, Yusei," I said and he boarded his duel runner and followed me out.

"Where are we really going, Era?" Yusei asked as he began to drive.

"There's a small cliff on the far side of the Satellite," I explained. "Not a lot of people stayed there and it's mostly still junk piles so we'll be safe from people."

"Okay," Yusei agreed.

I explained to him the basics of flying as we drove and until we arrived at our spot. We stopped and Yusei got off.

"Okay, Yusei. Change into your angel form," I ordered. He nodded and changed with ease. "To start, you need to begin flexing your wing muscles. Open and close your wings until I say to stop. It'll strengthen your wings in order to fly."

Yusei nodded again and I was pleased to see him focus as he opened and closed his wings. I was amazed of how strong his wings already were.

I nodded. "Okay," I started and he stopped to look at me. "Now to the harder part."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"The reason we're at a cliff isn't just for safety," I stated and he raised an eyebrow. "As all first time fliers do with our teachers, I'm going to wait half-way down the cliff and you're going to jump. I'll be ready to catch you so you don't hurt yourself and you'll start beating your wings as you fall."

"Uh, okay," he agreed with clear reluctance.

"Don't worry, Yusei," I told him and gave him a small kiss. "I won't let anything happen to you."

He nodded and I jumped off the cliff before I pulled to a hover below. I looked up and saw him looking down. I nodded at him with a reassuring smile.

Yusei softly beat his wings a bit before jumping off the edge. I caught him and steadied him though he still beat his wings which were keeping him aloft.

He looked at me and I smiled. "Keep focusing and beating those wings," I told him.

"Right," he agreed.

I slowly took my hands off of him and was relieved, and surprised, when he stayed at a hover. "Fastest. Time. Yet," I told him with a grin. "You never cease to amaze me, Yusei."

"I'm guessing that's a good thing, right?" Yusei asked.

I giggled. "Very," I answered. "Now I want you to get some altitude and fly up to those clouds."

He nodded and began to increase in height at a fast rate though it was a little clumsy. But I expected that from a first time flier. I followed him and laughed. "You need to slow it down, Yusei. Go too fast and you'll hurt yourself," I told him.

Yusei gave a slight blush before he looked out at New Domino City as he hovered. "I would've never thought I would see New Domino like this," he stated in a quiet voice.

I grinned. "It is an amazing sight," I responded. "You should see it at night." I looked at him. "Now we should land. Your wings will need a break since they just started flying. We'll get out more to keep strengthening your wings."

"Okay," he agreed and angled down with me as we glided to the ground.

I landed with ease being more experienced while Yusei stumbled a bit. He looked at me and I watched as he changed back to his normal outfit. I walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Strong, determined, skilled, full of light. They all describe you, Yusei," I whispered to him as I placed a hand on his chest. "When I first heard of your decision, I was worried of what would happen. But now I see you were always destined to become the angel you are. Our highness, the Crimson Dragon, was right to give you the choice when he did."

Yusei pulled me into him. "And I don't regret the choice I made," he whispered back. "I did promise we would find a way to make sure we could stay together."

He slowly leaned in until our lips met and he pulled me in tighter as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pulled back so we could breathe and I set my head on his chest listening to his fast heartbeat.

"We should get going," I told him.

"Okay," he agreed and we separated before Yusei got on his duel runner. He looked at me. "Come on."

I blinked. "You know I can _deal_ with riding a duel runner, but you also know that I don't like it," I reminded him.

He chuckled. "I know. Just thought I would try," Yusei responded. "You would do really well on a duel runner."

"Yet I'm an angel who should fly rather than drive," I retorted.

"By the way, does this mean I'll be able to tag along for a couple demon scouting?" Yusei asked.

I thought about it for a moment, _'It wouldn't hurt for him to gain some experience and he's mastered all of the protection spells.'_ I looked at him with a nod. "Yes, Yusei. You'll be joining me on the next few scout outs," I told him. "Maybe we'll be able to get an idea on the Ghost too."

Yusei nodded. "I'm worried about that too," he stated. "It just doesn't feel right."

"Well, we better get going before the others get nosy like last time," I said.

"They're getting more and more suspicious," Yusei responded as he began to drive.

"I know," I agreed. "But it's not like if they find out we'll die and it will be the end of the world."

Yusei chuckled. "True," he agreed. "We're both already dead. Even me in a way." I looked down for a moment. I had always secretly felt guilty since Yusei literally gave up his life to be with me. "Don't tell me you feel guilty about that," said Yusei snapping me back to attention. I looked at him. "I made the decision myself because I wanted to be an angel and find out the way you lived for a hundred years. It isn't your fault so don't feel guilty about a decision you didn't have any say so in." I blinked a bit in shock. "Don't worry, Era. I'll be fine." I nodded.

Yusei's duel runner went off for a call and he answered it to see Crow yet again. "Okay, where are you really?" Crow asked. "You're not downtown."

I flew into view. "We just left to head back to the garage," I half-lied.

"Why were you looking for us?" Yusei asked.

"Jack and I wanted to get an idea of what's been going on between you and Era," Crow explained.

I sighed. "Nothing's going on, Crow," I told him. "We've just been hanging out lately. That's all." Crow raised an eyebrow obviously still suspicious.

"By the way, Era, don't you ever get worried about people seeing you in your angel form?" Jack asked popping up.

I shrugged. "I'm careful," I told him.

We pulled up to the garage and Yusei said, "We're at the garage. So we'll see you here in a bit."

"See ya there, guys," Crow stated and Jack nodded before they hung up.


	2. The Cage

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 2: The Cage

Era's POV

It was getting later into the night and I was making an early shift of scouting for demons. Yusei was going to join me in the next thirty minutes at the top of the Infinity Tower. I landed on the top of the tower and sat down on the roof.

I watched and listened to the wind as it flew through. I heard feet gently land behind me and I turned to see Yusei walking up. I grinned.

"Landing's getting better," I told him.

"Thanks," he responded as he sat beside me.

"Do you remember what I told you about scouting demons?" I asked.

Yusei nodded. "Angels can sense demons if they're around," he answered. I nodded directing a small smile at him. "You weren't lying when you said New Domino City is amazing at night."

"Yeah," I answered. I heard the sound of a duel runner crashing and I saw Yusei notice it too. "Come on, Yusei," I said and waved him to follow me. I slid off the roof and unveiled my wings and was pleased to see Yusei doing the same.

We flew around the highways until we came up on the crash. Yusei and I were both shocked and frightened when we saw Trudge seriously injured on the ground next to his duel runner. I saw Mina in her car driving up and I looked to the side to see Crow driving off.

"Yusei, stay here. I'll go help, Trudge," I ordered.

"But…" he began though I cut him off.

"Yusei, if Mina and Trudge see you land, they'll know about you being an angel before they're supposed to find out. I need you to stay up here and sense around for any sign of a demon," I stated.

"O-Okay," he agreed. "But be careful."

I nodded and flew down. I immediately landed next to Trudge. I kneeled next to Trudge and felt for a pulse before using a spell to try to help heal him a bit.

"Era!" Mina called. I looked at her. "What happened? Did you see?"

"Sorry, Mina. I came as soon as I heard the crash. I didn't get here in time to see anything," I explained not mentioning Yusei's position in it.

Crow came driving up and we looked at him. "Did you see anything, Crow?" Mina asked.

"I only saw you guys pulling up," he answered. Crow looked at me. "Will he be alright?"

I looked back at Trudge and began to scan over him for any internal damage. "A couple broken ribs and some internal bruising but he should be fine. I've healed a good portion of the bruising but trying to heal broken bones is dangerous. Even for an angel. Healer Angels work with that," I explained pulling back from the scan. "Your doctors will have to deal with the bones. I wish I could do more but my training specializes in defense and protection spells as well as attack spells directed towards demons. I have mastered many healing spells but the complicated ones that include healing broken bones are out of my league. Sorry."

"It's fine, Era. You did what you can," Mina responded as a stretcher was being pulled up. Trudge was placed on it and rolled into the ambulance. "I have to tag along with Trudge. You two should probably get Yusei and Jack."

I nodded. "I'll get Yusei. I know where he is," I stated. "Jack's at the garage so you can get him, Crow."

"Okay," Crow agreed.

I looked at Mina. "Take care of Trudge, Mina," I told her. "I want to meet you there but I'm still scouting for demons. Let me know how Trudge comes out." Mina nodded. "I'll watch out for the Ghost too. See if I can get a lock on what he is."

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I was sensing out for any demonic energy or darkness in the area that seemed bad. I should've felt either darkness or a demon coming from Trudge's duel if the Ghost was around," I told her. "I didn't sense anything at all. Not even light in this area. So I know for a fact that it wasn't a demon and it wasn't anything that had any emotional turmoil that created a darkness in the person."

"Really?" Crow asked.

I nodded. "Which is making me even more worried and confused about this Ghost character," I said. "Mina, go ahead and get Trudge to the hospital. I'll contact you with any new information."

"Right," Mina agreed and ran to get into the ambulance which drove away.

"Era, be careful," Crow stated. I looked at him. "We don't know what this guy's capable of. And if you can't sense him, then something's up."

"I will, Crow," I assured. "Go get, Jack." He nodded and ran off while I took off and met Yusei in the sky. "Anything?" He shook his head. "Yusei, head back and go meet up with Trudge. He probably wants to see you," I told him.

"Era, I don't want you going alone. What happens if you meet up with the Ghost? If we can't sense him, that means someone has to be working behind him to do something," Yusei responded. He cupped my cheek with worry clear on his face. "What happens if that person wants you?"

"He won't get me," I told him. "I won't allow it. Even if he was able to get me in a cage, you know the spell that'll let me phase through. The only type of cage that doesn't allow that is a Demon Cage."

"A Demon Cage?" Yusei repeated.

"When an angel is placed inside a demon cage, the angel inside becomes powerless," I explained. "They can't use any spells to get out and can't break the bars no matter how strong they are."

"That only makes me want to be with you more," Yusei responded.

"I'll be fine, Yusei. You have to remember, I've been demon hunting for over one hundred years," I reminded. "Besides, if he has a demon cage, I don't want you anywhere near it. This way, I know you're safe."

He sighed and looked down. "I know," he agreed.

I grinned at him and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Go get to Trudge," I told him. "I'll see you soon." With that, I darted in the opposite direction of him and glanced back to see him heading back himself. I sighed. _'Let's just hope the demons aren't involved. With how quiet they've been,'_ I thought.

Third Person POV

Jack and Yusei, who was back into his human form, ran into the hospital where Crow and Mina were waiting.

"Era explained what happened to me," Yusei stated.

"And I'm still in the dark a bit," Jack added.

Mina began to explain everything when Trudge was rolled in. Trudge looked at Yusei. "D-Don't use synchro monsters against the Ghost," he warned Yusei. "I think he's looking for something. The Ghost has a small cage on the back on his duel runner. Too small for a person though. Watch out." Trudge was then swiftly taken into an operation room.

Yusei tensed at Trudge's last warning. _'Is that a Demon Cage?'_ he thought as his hand formed into a fist.

"Yusei," Crow called and he looked at him, "do you have any idea about that cage?"

"I do and if I'm right, Era's in serious danger," Yusei answered.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked.

"I had tried to get Era to stay away from the Ghost because of how she said she couldn't sense him. She told me she should be fine as long as he didn't have a Demon Cage," Yusei started.

"Demon Cage?" Jack repeated.

"According to Era, when an angel is placed inside it, the angel's powers are cut off from them. They can't use any spells to get out and no matter how strong the angel inside is they can't break it. They're trapped," Yusei explained. "I was hoping that it wouldn't involve a demon. But now…"

"I'll call some Security members who were tasked with watching the highways to keep an eye out for Era," Mina stated.

"Thanks, Mina," Crow stated. "We better get to the garage."

Yusei was obviously reluctant but followed his friends out.

. . .

In the garage, Crow slammed his fist off the wall in annoyance. "That Ghost…" Crow mumbled.

"Stop whining, Crow," Yusei stated and chucked him his helmet.

Jack nodded as Crow grinned. They drove off to scout out for the Ghost. Jack and Crow called over the line.

"We need to be careful," Jack said.

"Yusei, you keep an eye out for Era too," Crow stated.

Yusei nodded. "Right," he agreed.

Yusei drove for a while until he saw a familiar angel get down lower on the highway to the far right of him. He turned and caught up behind her and the person she was tailing.

"My masters will be most pleased," said the person.

Era went wide eyed as she noticed the cage. She immediately veered right to avoid the box but the man pressed a button and dark, energy like ropes jutted out from the cage which its door opened and followed Era around the air like a magnet.

"Era!" Yusei called. He grew frightened as one of the energy ropes wrapped around her ankle and a dark glow wrapped around her body as it became a small ball of light surrounded by a black glow. "Era!" he called again as the ball was yanked into the cage which shut and locked.

The man looked back to reveal a man with his face covered. "Aw, couldn't save your precious angel?" the man mocked.

"You're the Ghost?" Yusei asked.

The man grinned. "Do you want to duel for your precious angel?" he asked.

"Bet on it," Yusei agreed. He immediately contacted Jack and Crow. "Guys, I found the Ghost and he has Era."

"What do you mean 'he has Era'?" Jack asked alert.

"I mean that cage Trudge was talking about was an actual Demon Cage and he has Era locked up in it," Yusei explained. "If I beat the Ghost, I might be able to get Era back."

"Be careful, Yusei. We'll catch up to you," Crow stated and Yusei nodded before they all hung up.


	3. The Duel with a Ghost

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 3: The Duel with a Ghost

Third Person POV

Yusei and the Ghost activated Speed World 2. The road became a duel lane and other traffic pulled out of the way while Security noted the duel and granted authorization for it.

The Ghost went first. "I summon Wise Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode and set a card face down. I end my turn there," he declared.

Yusei drew his card and glanced at Era's form in the cage. _'I'll get you out, Era. I promise,'_ he thought. Yusei turned back to the duel. "I summon Max Warrior (Attack 1800/ Defense 800). Now Max Warrior, attack Wise Core! Now with Max Warrior's effect, it gains 400 attack points during damage calculation only (Max Warrior: Attack 2200)."

"I activate Labyrinth of Kline!" Ghost retorted. "This reduces the battle damage to 0 and prevents Wise Core from being destroyed. It also switches the original attack and defense of Max Warrior until the next turn's end phase (Max Warrior: Attack 1200/ Defense 1800)." And due to it being the end of the damage step, Max Warrior's effect wore off and lowered the monster's attack to 800.

"I use the effect of Turbo Booster to special summon it from my hand in attack position (Attack 0/ Defense 0)," Yusei proclaimed. "Next I tribute Turbo Booster to destroy Wise Core."

"You just activated Wise Core's effect. This allows me to special summon Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity (Attack 0/ Defense 0), Wisel Top (Attack 0/ Defense 1200), Wisel Attack (Attack 1200/ Defense 0), Wisel Guard (Attack 0/ Defense 1200), and Wisel Carrier (Attack 800/ Defense 600) to the field. Now due to Wisel Infinity's effect, I can combine all parts and make its attack equal the combined attack of all other Wisel Monsters that I control. So I bring forth the monsters' combined form of Meklord Emperor Wisel (Attack 2500/ Defense 0)," Ghost declared.

"I set two face downs," Yusei declared.

" _Yusei,"_ came Era's voice from in Angelic. He looked at the spark. _"Help me…"_

" _I'm coming, Era,"_ Yusei reassured. _"Don't worry. Just sit tight and wait."_

" _O-Okay,"_ she agreed, her voice sounding almost strained to speak.

" _Era, are you sure you're okay?"_ Yusei asked.

" _The darkness surrounding me… it hurts more than anything I've ever felt before. I feel like… I'm being slowly ripped apart,"_ she answered. Yusei grew worried as his heart raced trying to find a way to open it faster.

The Ghost began his turn returning Yusei's focus to the duel. "Meklord Emperor Wisel, attack Max Warrior!" Ghost ordered.

"I activate Shock Reborn!" Yusei fought. "This halves the battle damage and allows me to revive a monster from my graveyard." Max Warrior was destroyed and Yusei's life points dropped to 3150 while Turbo Booster returned to the field.

"I set one face down and end my turn," Ghost finished snickering at the end.

Yusei drew. "I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton. By sending Gauntlet Warrior to the graveyard, I can draw two cards," Yusei declared. "Next I summon Debris Dragon and use its effect to revive Gauntlet Warrior. Now I tune Turbo Booster, Gauntlet Warrior, and Debris Dragon to synchro summon. Take flight, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000). Next I activate my face down, Meteor Wave. This raises Stardust Dragon's attack by 2800. Now attack Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity!"

"I activate Wisel Guard's effect to make it the attack target," Ghost retorted. Meklord Emperor Wisel's arm took the hit and got blown off. Though due to Meteor Wave's second effect, since the monster affected by it had attacked a monster in defense position, the Ghost still received damage making his life points drop to 2400.

"I set a face down and end my turn," Yusei declared.

Ghost began his turn. "I summon Wisel Guard 3 (Attack 0/ Defense 2000)," he declared which replaced Meklord Emperor Wisel's missing arm. "My Wisel is invincible."

"Nothing's invincible," Yusei retorted. _'I should be able to beat it if I can take out all the components at once,'_ he thought. "Why are you targeting duel runners and why did you take Era?"

"It is my purpose," the Ghost answered. "I am the Synchro Killer. And Era's more special than you realize." Yusei got confused with that. "I use Meklord Emperor Wisel's effect to equip it with your Stardust Dragon."

"What?!" Yusei responded. He looked in shock and worry as Meklord Emperor Wisel shot a number of energy beams which strapped themselves to Stardust Dragon. Yusei's dragon began to struggle but was sucked into the machine. "Stardust!" _'This is what Trudge was talking about when he said not to use synchro monsters against the Ghost,'_ Yusei thought.

"And now Meklord Emperor Wisel's attack increases by the attack of the equipped monster (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 5000)," Ghost declared. "Now attack Yusei directly!"

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! This can negate your attack and then my card can reset itself," Yusei declared.

"I set two face downs," Ghost finished.

"I summon Bicular (Attack 200/ Defense 200) in defense and set one card face down," Yusei declared.

"I activate Wise A3!" Ghost began. "This allows me to summon Wisel Attack 3." The monster folded out into an arm that attached itself to Meklord Emperor Wisel and raised its attack to 5400. "Now Meklord Emperor Wisel, attack Bicular!"

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to negate that attack," Yusei fought.

"I activate Battle Return. By lowering its attack to 2700, it can attack again," Ghost returned. It took out Bicular causing Yusei to struggle to maintain control of his duel runner. "Now Meklord Emperor Wisel's effect inflicts damage to you equal to Stardust Dragon's attack." Yusei's life points fell to 650.

"I use Bicular's effect to special summon Unicycular (Attack 100/ Defense 100)," Yusei continued.

"I activate Trap Recycle allowing me to return Battle Return to my hand along with Reload," Ghost declared. "I end my turn."

"I use Speed World 2's effect to remove seven speed counters and draw one card," Yusei declared. Yusei began to concentrate as he reached for the card and his mark began to glow. It wasn't long before all the marks gathered into the complete dragon mark on Yusei's back. The top card on Yusei's deck began to glow. "I summon Majestic Dragon (Attack 0/ Defense 0). I activate Synchro Material. This returns Stardust Dragon to my side of the field. Next I tune Majestic Dragon with Stardust Dragon and Unicycular. I synchro summon, the Majestic Star Dragon (Attack 3800/ Defense 3000). And because Stardust Dragon came back from your field, your monsters attack loses Stardust's boost it was gaining (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 2900). Now I activate Majestic Star Dragon's effect to negate the effects of Wisel Guard 3 and grant them to my dragon. Now, attack Wisel Top!" Wisel Top was destroyed and so were the Ghost's life points.

" _Now, Yusei,"_ the Crimson Dragon ordered.

Yusei nodded. He focused on a spell and his hand began to glow. He shot a ball of light at the cage which hit the door and Era was released. She fell right into Yusei's chest too weak to change out of her form.

"Era…" Yusei whispered as he held her.

He looked as the Ghost's runner strayed off course and plummeted off the bridge before exploding.

"Yusei!" Crow called as he and Jack drove up.

He turned to the two. "Let's go check out where the Ghost crashed," Yusei decided.

"Well, when we're done with that, you're telling us about how you shot a ball of light from your hand," Jack agreed.

Yusei heard Era gasp as they drove down to where the Ghost had fallen. When they arrived, Era had gained enough strength to transform back into her normal self and did so while leaning against Yusei for support. She seemed okay though her skin was steaming a bit and she could barely stand on her own.

Crow walked up and touched the Ghost but immediately jumped back in alarm as the Ghost's arm fell off revealing it to be robotic.

"The Ghost was just a robot," Yusei deduced.

"That explains why we couldn't sense him," Era commented. "Because robots can't be possessed by demons and don't have the ability to feel any emotion at all."

"Now, Yusei, are you going to explain how on Earth you shot a ball of light from your hand?" Crow asked.

Yusei looked at Era. She gave him a small nod and he sighed. He allowed himself to transform making Crow and Jack shield their eyes for a moment from the light. When he finished, Jack and Crow brought their arms down and their mouths dropped when they saw Yusei in his angelic form.

"Yusei, you're an angel?!" Crow exclaimed.

Yusei nodded. "Became one when I finished the King of the Underworld," he answered.

"And why didn't you tell us?" Jack asked.

"The Crimson Dragon ordered me to teach him what an angel does and everything in between _in secret_. We were following his orders," Era explained.

Yusei changed back into his human form followed by Era with Yusei still holding her in his arms to help her while she recovered.

"Will you be okay, Era?" Yusei asked looking at her.

"I'll be fine. Just the demonic energy in that cage weakened me a bit," she answered.

"Why do you make it seem like it was worse?" Crow asked.

"Because inside, the energy made me feel like I was being ripped apart," she explained. "An angel's light and a demon's darkness are polar opposites. Being surrounded by the darkness for too long like I was and it could very well kill the angel." Yusei tensed at the thought of Era dying in that manner.

' _No, I'm not going to allow it to happen,'_ he thought. Yusei looked back at the two humans. "We should get back to the garage and talk about this Ghost," he said. He looked back at the Ghost and picked up the CPU from the robot's duel runner.

. . .

Back at the garage, Era was resting next to Yusei who was still worried about her condition.

Trudge walked in with Mina after recovering from his encounter with the Ghost. It wasn't long after that Leo, Luna, and Akiza came in too. Trudge set some photos on the table and they gathered around.

"The Ghost was actually a Duelbot. Robots that are sent to take down criminals," Mina explained. "They were decommissioned though a while back."

"Then who brought this one back online?" Crow wondered. "And why did they want Era?"

"They wanted Era?" Akiza asked.

"They locked me in a Demon Cage," Era explained. "I can explain the details about it later."

Yusei handed the chip to Trudge. "That's the CPU chip from the Ghost's duel runner. It was programmed to erase all its data when it lost," he explained.

"How did you gain access to the CPU so easily?" Trudge asked surprised.

"It was easy for Yusei," Crow responded. "He's better than Security."

"I'm worried about what's coming," Era commented and they looked at her. "These people couldn't have gained a Demon Cage without a demon's assistance. So that's a big problem. Added to the fact that whoever did this has to have a serious plan to be going through all of that."

"I have to agree with Era," Yusei stated and they all gave a small nod of agreement. _'We're about to face a new threat,'_ he thought.


	4. The Teacher Against the Angel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 4: The Teacher Against the Angel

Era's POV

I was flying over the city, trying to think about the Ghost and what it was saying, not including the fact that whoever seemed to have made it was in touch with higher ranking demons. I noticed the twins walking with their friends, Bob, Patty, and Dexter. They had been hanging around Yusei's a lot, though they hadn't learned about me being an angel yet except for Dexter. However, since the twins and Dexter were having trouble saying things about me that didn't give away my current living state, the others were going all over them trying to figure me out.

' _Maybe it's time they found out,'_ I thought as I heard Bob say after the others asked to go to Yusei's as well, "Maybe we'll see Era and figure her out too." I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, we're all going," Leo responded to the question.

"I'm not sure. Is going to Yusei's place every day to play a bad idea?" Luna asked.

"It's fine," Leo responded.

I hovered in the air as I watched their fellow classmate, Sly, walk past them.

"Hey, Sly, are you heading home alone?" Luna asked. He just shrugged. "Why don't you hang out with us?"

"No thanks," he replied.

"Come on, Sly. You need friends," I stated as I landed. Everyone was watching me shocked.

"What is she?!" Bob exclaimed as him and Patty ran up. Sly just watched me.

"Dexter, did you know?" Sly asked.

"Uh, yeah. Learned it during the Fortune Cup," he answered.

"And you didn't tell us?!" Patty exclaimed.

"Okay, guys, calm down," I told them. I looked at Sly. "You can't stay alone forever, Sly. Everyone will come to need friends sometime."

"I can't wait to meet, Yusei. Maybe _he'll_ tell us what you are," Patty stated.

"Guys, I'm an angel," I told them. "Nothing too major."

"Angel? Are you dead or something?" Sly asked.

"Yeah, she kind of is," Leo answered.

"Eh, sort of," I answered. "It's complicated. Now I have to go watch for anymore demons. You guys should head over to Yusei's for a bit. Just don't stay for too long. They're working on the engine." I took off with that.

Third Person POV

Yusei, Crow, and Jack were working on their duel runner. Jack began testing it again and pushed it to ninety-percent.

"Is this really okay?" Crow asked. "I don't want an explosion like last time."

"No kidding. I'm on it again, too," Jack added.

"There's no problem with the engine," Yusei responded implying the problem lied in something else.

Suddenly, the deck holder released all the cards stored in it and sent Yusei's deck flying out everywhere as smoke came from the bottom of the runner.

Zora came in and shouted, "Cut down the noise! I don't know why I let you stay here."

"Sorry, it was our fault," Crow stated.

"Right. Don't blame Yusei for it," Jack added.

"I was referring to you two from the beginning," Zora mentioned. "Don't hold Yusei back and cooperate with him." She then left with that.

"Oh, how much I wish I had a better son like Yusei," Crow mocked.

"Cut it out, Crow. We need to be glad she even lets us stay here," Yusei told him.

"Yeah, I know," Crow agreed. "Well, guess we'll have to start picking up the cards."

Leo, Luna, and the others then walked into the basement. Seeing the mess, Luna asked, "Was there another explosion?"

"There was an error in the machine," Crow replied.

"Impressive duel runner," Dexter stated while Bob and Patty agreed.

"We're using the frame for testing," Crow told them.

"Say, where's Era?" Patty asked.

"She's out looking for demons. We'll explain that later," Yusei answered.

"Didn't she tell us that before she left?" Luna asked and they gave an awkward look.

They walked down and Jack stated, "Don't touch things without permission!"

"Can we play?" Bob asked.

"Please," Patty begged.

"No," Jack answered.

"Sure, but only if you help pick up the cards," Crow overruled.

"What?!" Jack yelled at Crow.

All of them, except for Jack who sat on the test runner and Yusei who worked on the computer, began to pick the cards up. Sly then arrived as they did.

Yusei noticed him first and he greeted, "Are you a friend of theirs?"

Leo then noticed him and asked, "Why are you here? I thought you didn't want to come."

"Don't worry, I was just leaving," Sly replied.

"You're fine, Sly," Luna stated pulled him back in and down the stairs. "Yusei, this is Sly. He's a classmate."

"You don't look as cool as I thought you would," Sly commented.

"Hey!" Crow snapped. "Just get back to picking up the cards."

"Whatever," Sly agreed but helped despite being frustrated about it. As he picked up, he came across Stardust Dragon and looked at it.

Yusei approached Sly. "My Stardust Dragon should be here somewhere," he said.

"Here," Sly told him handing the card over, much to his own disappointment.

"Thanks," Yusei responded. Era walked in and he looked at her. "Anything?"

Era shook her head. "After that demon cage, it makes me wonder where the demons are," she answered. She looked at the mess. "Another error?"

"Yeah," Crow responded.

"You could've called me," she responded. "Or you could've picked things up faster, Yusei. There is the Sort Out Spell, remember?"

"Right," he agreed.

"Sort Out Spell?" Crow repeated.

"Spell?" Patty wondered.

"It's a spell that can take any group of an item and re-sort it to what it once was," Era explained. "It was handy in Angel Academy."

"Angels use spells?" Sly questioned.

"Demons have their own type of spells. Angels have a lot more though because demons rely are Dark Spells. There aren't as many of those," Era explained. "Angel life and information is complicated, guys. It takes a while to explain all of it. Now, do you want these cards back to normal or what?"

"That would be nice," Crow responded.

Era activated the spell and the cards began to float up. They then found their place back in the deck and it came into Era's hands as a side effect to the spell. She handed the deck to Yusei.

"That was awesome!" Patty exclaimed.

"Can you do other spells?" Bob asked

"More than you can count," Era answered.

"Alright, showtime's over. We have work we need to do," Jack stated. Leo and Luna led the others out and Yusei looked at Era.

"Thanks, Era," he told her.

"No problem," she responded. "Angels are always happy to help. Right, Yusei?"

"Right," Yusei agreed.

"So when were you planning on telling us you were an angel, Yusei?" Crow asked.

"As soon as my training was done," he answered.

"He was pretty far along," Era told them. "He had mastered most of the spells. Just had a few others and had to master the Demon Exorcist Spell. But other than that, he was near done."

"So how much longer would you expect until you tell the others?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure," Yusei answered. "Depends on how much I can get out and train."

"Anyway, let's get back to the duel runner," Era suggested and they turned back to fixing it.

Era's POV

The next day, Yusei and I were working on a frame of the runner again. Jack and Crow were out with their own business.

"You know, the principal at Duel Academy is really getting on my nerves," I commented.

"Why?" Yusei asked.

A knock came at the door interrupting them and they turned as a man came in. "Hello, I heard there are two good mechanics here," he stated.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Yusei asked.

"I'm having a mechanical problem and I could use someone named Era's help," the man responded. "I was told she was more than capable of helping."

"What's the mechanical problem?" I asked.

"It's called Heitmann. Can you help?" he asked.

"Sure," I answered. "I'll be over there later." The man then left. "And looks like I'm going to be putting the principal straight soon."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"Heitmann isn't a machine," I explained. "It's the principal of Duel Academy. He's got a serious machine type deck. He's been wanting to expel Leo and Luna's class for a while because they use low level cards. It's ridiculous in my opinion. He's been trying to convince the chancellor to do so. Well, I'm going to go there now and set Heitmann straight."

"I'll come with you," Yusei responded.

"Sure, but I'm flying," I responded.

"Of course you are," he responded with a grin.

"Why don't you fly too? You need to strengthen your wings," I suggested.

Yusei grinned. "Sure, why not?" he answered.

"Come on, then," I replied and we walked outside before transforming and flying off.

Third Person POV

"That isn't right," Leo stated as the class complained.

"Be quiet!" Heitmann yelled. "No matter what you say, my decision to kick you out is final!"

"Why are we even being expelled?" Patty asked.

"Yeah, what did we do?" Bob added.

"You all have low grades and don't even deserve to be in this school," Heitmann replied. "This is New Domino City's best Duel Academy. As such, we are going to change to a more Higher-Leveled Class."

"What you're doing is wrong," Ms. Barttlet, the class' teacher responded. "All children have the right to duel. The chancellor has always said so and…"

"You might be surprised that this is also the chancellor's decision," Heitmann responded and she was surprised. "The stubborn chancellor listened to what I have to say."

"Mr. Heitmann, please don't expel us," Luna begged.

"We are just now beginning to do our best," Leo added.

"You are in no position to say that. Especially you, Leo, who happens to be at the very bottom of this class," Heitmann responded.

"Some teacher you are," came Era's voice. "You should know that Leo's been in more dangerous and life risking duels than you can even count. And look, he's still here."

They looked at the door where she stood. "Era!" Luna exclaimed.

"You know, you've really been on my nerves since you even started to consider this," she stated.

"Who are you?" Heitmann asked.

"My name's Era and a friend of Leo and Luna's. As well as someone who protects people," she answered.

"Era's right, you know," came Akiza's voice and they turned as she entered.

"You're Akiza," Heitmann stated.

"How can you be like that and still be proud to be a professor?" Akiza asked.

"A superior student like yourself would understand what I have to say," Heitmann responded.

"I don't," Akiza responded. "And I won't forgive any person who hurts children."

"It's alright, Akiza," Yusei responded walking in.

"Aren't you Yusei who won the Fortune Cup?" Heitmann asked causing the class to get excited. "What brings you to our Duel Academy?"

"I came with Era because we were asked to fix a problem," he answered.

"Nothing in the room needs to be fixed," Heitmann argued. "That is because the students are beyond fixing."

"You shouldn't even say that," Akiza scolded. "Do you really think judging people is based on grades alone? Stopping duels is a foolish thing."

"You are the one who is foolish," Heitmann retorted. "No matter how a low-leveled duelist duels, it is pointless. Every key card in the following duelists' decks are trash: Leo's Morphtronic Remoten, Luna's Kuribon, Dexter's Batteryman AA, Bob's Flamvell Guard, Patty's Hanewata, Sly's Eccentric Boy, and so on. That's because their duel level is low. Isn't that why they're using low level monsters?"

"You're wrong," Yusei told him.

"Nothing in this world is useless," Era stated.

"You are outsider and you have no right to interfere on this. You should just go home," Heitmann said. "Why are even hear again?"

"Someone came to Yusei's place asking me to help fix you," Era stated. "Though he was vague and just said a mechanical problem in something called Heitmann, I could tell he was talking about you pretty easily.

"How?" Heitmann asked.

"Once I started hearing you were planning on expelling this class, I've been watching very closely," I answered. "Don't act so surprised."

"Era's pretty smart and special that way," Akiza stated. "You should expect a lot from her and her skill."

"How about a duel, Heitmann?" Era challenged. "If I win, you can't expel this class or any class."

"Very well," he agreed. "Even though an outsider has no right to duel."

. . .

Era kneeled to the children's eye level as they wished her luck. "I need you guys to do me a favor," she told them. They looked at her confused. "I need to borrow the monsters that Heitmann called useless. This way I can teach him that you and your cards are never useless."

"Alright!" the kids agreed and handed over the cards.

Era's POV

Heitmann and I stood across from each other. "Let's see how well you can duel, girl," Heitmann taunted.

I stayed silent as I drew my card. "I summon Flamvell Guard (Attack 100/ Defense 2000) in defense mode and set two cards face down," I declared. "That ends my turn."

Heitmann drew his card. "I summon Ancient Gear Statue (Attack 500/ Defense 800)," he declared. "I then activate Machine Duplication to special summon two more Ancient Gear Statues. Next I activate the effect of my three Ancient Gear Statues. By tributing each of them, I can special summon three Ancient Gear Golems (Attack 3000/ Defense 3000) ignoring summoning conditions."

"I activate Tuner's Barrier! This prevents Flamvell Guard from being destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of the next turn," I called.

"Now my three Golems, attack Flamvell Guard," Heitmann ordered. Flamvell Guard wasn't destroyed but I still took damage from the Ancient Gear Golems' effect dropping my life points down to 1000. "Now I activate Level Thunder which inflict damage to you equal to the combined levels of all my face up monsters I control times 100. And the combined levels equals 24 meaning you'll take 2400 points of damage. Now wouldn't that strip you of your life points."

"Nope because by discarding Hanewata, I can make the damage I would've taken to zero," I fought.

"Wait, those cards…" Heitmann stated finally realizing my cards.

"That's right, Heitmann. These cards I'm playing are monsters that you called useless because they were low-leveled," I told him. "Now it's my turn!" I drew my card. "I activate Cards of Consonance. Now if I discard a card like Debris Dragon, I can draw two cards." I drew the cards. "Next I normal summon Eccentric Boy (Attack 800/ Defense 200) in attack position. Then I activate its effect to tune it with my Angelic Star Teacher that's in my hand!"

"Angelic Star Teacher?" Heitmann questioned.

I nodded. "So I synchro summon to the field, Angelic Light Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 2700)!" I declared. My dragon took its stance beside me and everyone looked at it shocked while I saw Yusei grin. "Next I activate Variety Comes Out! By returning Angelic Light Dragon to the extra deck, I can special summon Eccentric Boy, Hanewata (Attack 200/ Defense 300) and Debris Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 2000) from my graveyard in attack position since their combined levels equal the level of Angelic Light Dragon **(A/N: I know Angelic Light Dragon is supposed to be a level seven, but I made it a level eight for the sake of this duel. Don't be too harsh about it, please)**. Next I activate Tuner's Explosion! By tributing Eccentric Boy, Hanewata, and Flamvell Guard, I can destroy all of your monsters and inflict damage to you for each monster destroyed." Heitmann's life points took the hit and fell to 1000. "Now Debris Dragon, attack him directly!" The attack succeeded and Heitmann's life points fell to nothing.

"There are children who duel seriously and it doesn't matter about the level of the monsters used, Heitmann," I told him walking up.

The man who informed Yusei and I of the problem earlier entered. "That was what I expected of you, Era. You tightened the screw like I needed," he stated.

"You're the chancellor that had come to see me earlier," Era responded.

"I'm sorry for tricking you, but I wasn't able to persuade the stubborn Heitmann myself," he responded.

"Did you ask Era told defeat me?" Heitmann asked the chancellor.

"How was it?" the chancellor asked.

"I was wrong," he replied.

The children ran down and hugged me cheering for the fact that I won and they got to stay.

"Alright, I withdraw my expulsion request," Heitmann laughed.

I handed back the cards to them and walked up to Sly who stood to the side. "Thanks for letting me use your card, Sly," I told him handing the card back. "I couldn't have won without it."

"Yeah," Sly simply replied and took the card back.

Yusei walked over and I looked at him as he gave me an approving grin. "Let's go," he suggested. I nodded and followed him along with the children, who wanted to talk to me more, out.


	5. The Spirit in the Woods

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 5: The Spirit in the Woods

Third Person POV

Dexter, Leo, and Luna walked through a forest. A black bird flew off and Leo suggested, "Why don't we turn back?"

"It was you're idea to explore in the first place," Dexter pointed out. He pulled a crafty face and asked, "Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared!" he yelled and pointed a finger to Luna. "I was just thinking on whether or not Luna is scared."

"I'm fine, Leo," Luna responded simply.

"Alright. So am I," Leo agreed. They continued with Leo a bit scared still, holding onto Dexter's back as they walked.

Though they didn't notice, Luna stopped while her brother and friends continued. She looked at a different direction and said, "This atmosphere… there's something here."

Suddenly, she was pulled into a trance and walked in the direction while Leo and Dexter continued to walk ahead. As Luna walked, Kuribon called and tried to tell her something urgent.

Shortly after, Regulus appeared and he said, "Luna, I can feel a strong spirit. You should turn back." An unseen force then caused the two spirits to disappear while Luna kept walking.

. . .

Yusei and Era had just come back from Yusei's training and were talking to Jack and Crow. Crow then began to tell Yusei about a forest.

"Wait, the forest that spirits away?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah. Rumors about it have been appearing lately, that many people have gone missing from the forest," Crow explained.

"Know anything Era?" Jack asked.

Era began to think. "If I'm thinking of the right forest, then I do know one that has a lot of dark energy around it. But it isn't like a demon's dark energy. More like a spirit that is lost," she explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Crow asked.

"Sometimes a spirit of a person who died gets trapped in between the Afterlife or Underworld and Earth. It's not very common. But it's usually due to an emotional attachment or action the spirit had done when they were alive," Era explained. "When they're trapped, they tend to lose their way and they have to be reminded of what truly happened in order to find their way to the Afterlife or Underworld depending on where they were supposed to go."

"Well, people are saying that it's a monster that lives in the forest," Crow responded.

"If it was a monster, Yusei and I would've sensed it long ago," Era retorted gently.

"What do you think, Yusei?" Jack asked.

"I'm not really sure. Era is right. Whenever we've been out flying and we've gone over a certain forest, there is a weird dark energy around it. But we would've been able to tell if it was some kind of monster," Yusei responded. "Do you think there could be any relation to the incident with the Ghost?"

Crow finished the sandwich he was eating and said, "You're thinking too hard. Kids love talking about legends and those sort of things after all. Well, I'm heading off to work." He then left on his duel runner. Yusei was tensed, not really sure what to think of it.

"How much longer do you think until you're done with training?" Jack asked.

"Not entirely sure," Yusei answered. "The Demon Exorcist spell is pretty complicated. I can see why angels have to go through a test with it before they can head back to their world."

"Yusei's moving along pretty well though. If he gets out and practices enough, it shouldn't be too long before he can tell everyone else," Era added.

"How do angels go through the test in the Angel Academy, anyway?" Jack asked.

"As Yusei knows, when a demon successfully brings someone into the Underworld via possession, they can't release them right away. In fact, the person isn't dead yet when they bring them to the Underworld. As such, Stealth Angels will go in and get these people while they're alive when it's time for the tests. The people are then used to test the angels-in-training," Era explained.

"What happens if they fail?" Jack continued.

"The only way you can actually fail is if you accidently stop part way through," she answered. "Which means experienced angels who are deciding whether the angel is ready are ready at all times to save and release the possessed human if the angel messes up."

"Would you have to do that when I take my test?" Yusei asked.

"As you're teacher and one of the only experienced Combat Angels left, yep," Era answered. "But don't worry about that yet."

"How do you practice with the spell?" Jack asked.

"You just use the circle as a practice. If something goes wrong with the spell, both in use and practice, the circle will turn purple," Yusei explained. "I've been able to successfully do it a couple times but I still need practice before I can go through with the test."

"Huh," was all Jack responded with.

. . .

Back in the forest, Luna stepped on a twig causing her to return to normal. "Where am I?" she responded noticing the different layout then where she was before. "Leo!" she called. "Dexter!" A creepy noise was then heard which got Luna alert. "I knew it. There's something here." Suddenly, a vine began to come down and surround her. "Leo!" She closed her eyes fearfully. "Leo, help me!"

"Heavy Storm!" called a voice and destroyed the vines closing around Luna. "Are you alright?" asked a voice. As the smoke cleared, a boy walked up. "Are you hurt?"

"You're…" she stopped telling him to finish.

"My name is Haley. And you are?" he responded.

"I'm Luna," she answered.

"It's nice to meet you. It's dangerous being alone. There are a lot of bad guys in the forest," Haley told her.

"Bad guys?" she repeated.

"Would you like to come to my house? Claire will be happy to have a visitor," Haley asked. "You'll be safe there."

"You have a house out here?" she replied and followed him.

. . .

Back in the basement and Yusei's apartment, Yusei was working on parts of his duel runner with Era watching.

"Yusei! Yusei!" called Dexter's voice. They turned as Dexter ran in. "Yusei! Era!"

"What's wrong?" Yusei asked.

"Luna went missing in the forest," Dexter informed shocking both Yusei and Era. "Leo went looking for Luna in the forest too."

Yusei got up and asked, "Does this have to do with the forest that takes people?" Dexter nodded.

"Stay here, Dexter. I'll go look for them," Era ordered changing into her angel form.

"I'm coming, Era," Yusei stated. Era shook her head in refusal. "I'm not arguing, Era."

Era sighed in defeat. "But you stay here, Dexter. Contact us if they come back," she told the child. He nodded and Era flew off while Yusei drove knowing he shouldn't fly with Luna and Luna being around.

. . .

Leo ran through the forest. "Luna!" he called. "Luna!" He stopped. "Luna!" Suddenly, a creepy noise was then heard and Leo got a bit scared. "What… is that?" He calmed himself down. _'Don't be scared, Leo. I have to hurry and find Luna,'_ Leo thought before running again, calling Luna's name.

. . .

Haley and Luna arrived outside a house. "We're here," he told her. He opened the door and they walked in. Haley closed the door behind them.

"So you're defeating the bad guys in the forest through duels?" Luna asked.

"Yes. But nobody believes me," he replied.

"I believe you," Luna responded. "I can see duel monster spirits."

"So that's how it is. I was able to feel it when I first met you. You have an interesting power," Haley told her.

"Uh, thanks," Luna responded and followed him forward. They soon came to a door.

Haley called in as he opened it. "Claire, we have a guest," he told a girl in a bed.

"Uh, hello. I'm Luna," the Signer introduced.

"Claire, you should greet Luna as well," Haley responded. Not a movement was made from the bed she was in.

"Is she sleeping?" Luna asked.

"She always sleeps because she's ill," Haley answered. "She's always scared of the bad guys. I am the only one who can protect Claire."

"Are you the only ones in the house? What about your parents?" Luna asked.

"They went gone away a long time ago. They didn't even say anything," Haley answered.

' _Claire's the same as me. Claire is afraid of the bad guys like I am. And because I tend to be ill and frail, Leo protects me and takes care of me. And Haley's like me in a way too. He's discourages how his parents went away long ago and never said anything,'_ Luna thought. Haley suddenly walked to the window. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Something is coming. It's a bad guy," he told her. "Stay here with Claire and don't leave the room."

"Wait! I'll go too…" Luna tried but was cut off by the door mysteriously shutting, shocking her.

Outside the house, Leo walked up. "It's a big house. Luna couldn't be in there," he stated. Suddenly, the doors to the house opened up with so much force that the wind caused Leo to cover his eyes for a second. Leo uncovered his eyes and asked, "What is that?"

Haley appeared and pointed at him, saying, "You, bad guy, I won't let you take another step here!" He readied his duel disk. "Come duel me."

"Uh, why am I a bad guy?" Leo asked confused. "What're you talking about?" He stopped as he heard Luna call his name. He looked up at the window on the top floor and saw her. "Luna!" He ran forward towards the house. But the doors closed and Haley stood in from of Leo.

"I won't let you through," Haley told Luna's twin.

"Are you the one who took Luna?" Leo asked. "Why are you doing such a thing?" Haley remained silent. Leo took out his duel disk from his academy backpack and said, "I'll definitely take Luna back!" They pulled their five starting cards. He looked at Luna. "Luna… I'll definitely save you!"

"Leo…" Luna muttered from in the room.

Haley took the first turn and drew. "I activate the continuous spell card, Circle of Life!" he declared and a yellow circle appeared around the field. Haley walked onto the circle and explained, "Now we can't use any spell cards unless we discard a spell card during our turns. Let me show you my combo. I set Mirror Prison to the graveyard to activate the continuous spell, Circle of Terror!" A second circle appeared just outside the yellow one. "Now we can't summon monsters unless we discard a monster card from our hand during our turns." A black aura then surrounded the house Luna was in.

' _Is trapping Luna in there part of Haley's powers?'_ Leo thought and looked at his hand. _'I can't do anything now unless I discard cards from my hand.'_

"I send the zombie-type monster Sleeping Beauty to the graveyard to activate its effect. As long as Sleeping Beauty is in the graveyard, the zombie type monsters in my hand have their levels reduced by one," Haley explained. "Therefore, my level five Hollow Spirit becomes a level four. So I normal summon my Hollow Spirit (Attack 1200/ Defense 1000) in attack mode. Attack can't be declared on my first turn, but I will have you take Hollow Spirit's effect. When there's a zombie type monster in the graveyard, I can inflict 800 points of damage to you." Hollow Spirit formed blue energy of light that seemed to be sucked out of Leo whose life points fell to 3200. Leo yelled in pain from the attack. "I end my turn."

Leo stepped forward a bit and weakly asked, "What was that? It felt like an actual shock." He then thought, _'Is Haley a psychic duelist?'_ He shook his head. _'Get ahold of yourself! If I get scared of something like this, I can't save Luna!'_ He drew his card. _'I need to break that combo, or else.'_ He then declared, "I send Morphtronic Datatron to the graveyard."

"There's no meaning in just summoning a monster to break this combo," Haley said. "With Mirror Prison that I had just sent to the graveyard, most monsters cannot attack. But zombie and machine type monsters are safe from it."

Leo smirked. "That means it won't have any effect on my deck. I summon level three tuner Morphtronic Scopen (Attack 800/ Defense 1400) in attack mode," he declared.

"So you have a machine deck?" Haley asked surprised.

"That's right," Leo replied. "With Scopen's effect, I special summon the level four normal monster Morphtronic Videon (Attack 1000/ Defense 1000). Now I tune level four Morphtronic Videon with level three Morphtronic Scopen. Docking strength with courage in order to protect world peace. Synchro summon! The envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon (Attack 2300/ Defense 2500)!"

"You are quite lucky. But I won't lose to something without a soul," Haley told Leo.

"Don't make a fool of Power Tool Dragon. I activate its effect. This allows me to add one random equip to my hand," Leo declared. "I discard Morphtronic Cord from my hand to the graveyard and equip Power Tool Dragon with Break Draw!"

Suddenly a duel runner drove up causing both Leo and Haley to look in its direction. That's when Haley noticed Era land beside Leo.

"Leo, the next time you want to go get yourself in this kind of trouble, let me tag along," she told him. Yusei then came up and pulled to a stop next to Leo.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"Yusei! Era!" Leo exclaimed.

"So another bad guy has appeared," Haley stated. "But the girl… she is different." Era looked at him.

"There's something's wrong about this field…" Yusei started but Leo cut him off.

"I'm fine. So go rescue Luna!" Leo told him. He pointed to the window and said, "She's trapped up there."

"I got her, Yusei," Era stated.

"I won't let you take a step into the house," Haley stated. A dark aura began to surround Haley making Era step back a bit.

"He's a lost spirit," Era stated.

"I'm your opponent, Haley," Leo told the boy. "Power Tool Dragon, attack Hollow Spirit!" Power Tool Dragon attacked Hollow Spirit, destroying it and causing Haley's life points to drop to 2900.

Haley let his guard down and in that moment drove his duel runner and broke down the door and drove inside before stopping. Era ran in after him.

"How dare you…" Haley began but Leo interrupted him.

"When Power Tool Dragon destroys your monster, I can draw one card," Leo explained and he drew his card.

Haley got angry and said, "Unforgivable… I won't forgive anyone who hurts my most precious person!" An evil, dark skull enveloped and surrounded Haley and Leo yelled in fear.

. . .

Yusei and Era turned hearing Leo's scream after Yusei was off his runner. "Leo," Era muttered.

Yusei turned to a picture hanging on the wall. "This is… I remember hearing that a long time ago, there were some people living here. Among them were two siblings," he recalled.

"It's true. A brother was taking care of his sister's illness but it made him sick," Era stated. "The brother passed away and it looks like the sister followed her brother as well."

"Did you try to help them?" Yusei asked.

"The spells for healing illnesses are above our training, Yusei. You know that," she replied. He nodded with a small grin. "Those work with Healer Angels."

"Let's get moving," Yusei suggested grabbing her hand and leading her up the stairs.

. . .

Back with Haley, the darkness continued to surround him and Leo wondered, "It couldn't be that he's a demon?! In that case, I can't lose. I won't hand Luna over to a demon."

"When Hollow Spirit is sent to the graveyard, another door to the graveyard opens. Show yourself, Hollow Ghost (Attack 2600/ Defense 0)!" A darkness appeared on the ground as Hollow Ghost appeared out of it.

"2600 attack points?! Just when I had defeated Hollow Spirit," Leo responded shocked. He calmed down and thought, _'I have to find a way to beat this guy.'_

. . .

Up in the room with Luna, she muttered in worry, "Leo…" But she stopped when she heard someone crying.

She looked over to see a girl crying in a corner near the bed. "Big brother, where are you?" she cried.

"You, could you be…" Luna said.

The girl continued to cry as she said, "Don't leave me alone here." She rubbed the wall calling out to her big brother once more.

"Y-You're Claire," Luna realized "Where are you right now, Claire?" The girl however continued to cry "big brother" while rubbing the way with her hands.

. . .

The duel between Leo and Haley continued. "I set a face down and end my turn," Leo finished.

"Even if you try to take my sister's life, it's useless! I will protect my little sister, Claire… even if I have to give up my own life!" Haley told Leo.

"You have a little sister?" Leo responded surprised.

"It's my turn," Haley called drawing his card. "Hollow Ghost, attack Power Tool Dragon!" A dark blast hit Leo's monster and Leo's life points dropped to 2900.

"Well, due to Power Tool Dragon's ability, by sending Break Draw to the graveyard, I can negate Power Tool Dragon's destruction," Leo defended.

"I activate Hollow Ghost's effect! When a card is sent to the graveyard, you are dealt 600 points of damage," Haley played. Hollow Ghost flew around Leo, blue energy sucked out of the Signer's brother while he yelled from the pain as his life points fell to 2300. "Next through Circle of Light and Circle of Terror's effect, I have to send a spell and a monster to the graveyard. I will then have you take 1200 points of damage through Hollow Ghost's effect." Leo yelled out in pain again as Hollow Ghost sucked more blue energy out of him and his life points fell to 1100.

. . .

In the house, Yusei spotted a dark aura enveloping a door ahead with Era. He began to walk over to it keeping Era's hand in his when he felt Era stop. He looked at the door next to him and heard voices coming from it.

"What're those voices?" Yusei wondered and reached to open the door.

Era gripped on a bit tighter making him look at her. "Yusei, be careful. Something's wrong behind this door," she told him.

"I know," he responded. "I sense it too." He opened the door and to see cards with people trapped in them.

"This is almost like what Pegasus did to Mokuba and Seto Kaiba during Duelist Kingdom," Era muttered.

"What?" Yusei responded not having heard this before.

Once of the voices called out interrupting them, "Help me."

Another said, "Let me out of here."

"Could these be the people who disappeared in the forest?" Yusei wondered.

"I… think so," Era replied.

. . .

"I will now end my turn," Haley declared.

Leo huffed, a bit tired from the attacks. "I know you're trying to protect your sister," he said. "And I completely understand those feelings. That's why I definitely can't lose!" He then thought, _'This isn't about me. It's about Luna. Which is why one way or another, I'm going to win this duel!'_ Leo began his turn and drew his card. ' _'If these circles are what's trapping Luna, then I need to get rid of them.'_ He then played, "I reveal my face down, Morphtronic Impact Return! By returning a Morphtronic monster from my hand to my deck, I can return Circle of Life and Circle of Terror to your hand." This shocked Haley as the cards returned to his hand. The circles then disappeared along with the darkness that surrounded the house.

. . .

In the house, the aura around the room Luna was in disappeared. Yusei opened it calling Luna's name, to which she turned and responded by say both angels' names.

The angels walked over to her and Era asked, "Are you alright?"

Luna just pointed over to Claire and said, "We have to save her. Or at this rate, we won't be able to save either Haley or her."

"Big brother," Claire cried. She then turned to the three of them, or more specifically at Era. "You… You're here to bring us over, right?"

Luna spotted something glowing on the doll in the bed. Taking part of the covers off, a glowing card was revealed to be what it was.

. . .

In the duel, Haley got angry but then said, "Since a card was sent to the graveyard, you'll take Hollow Ghost's effect!" Leo yelled out from the pain as Hollow Ghost sucked more blue energy out of him and his life points fell to 500.

"I activate Power Tool Dragon's effect to add a random equip spell from my deck to my hand," Leo declared. He then whispered before he looked at the card, "Come to me… the power needed to protect my most precious one!" He looked at the card and smiled at it. "I play the equip spell, Power Pickaxe and equip it to Power Took Dragon! Through Power Pickaxe's effect, I can remove one monster from your graveyard from play that has a lower level than Power Tool Dragon. And I choose to remove Hollow Spirit! And when Hollow Spirit's not in your graveyard, Hollow Ghost's attack points go to zero! And now Power Tool Dragon's attack points are raised by half of the removed from play monster's attack (Power Tool Dragon: Attack 2900). Power Tool Dragon, attack Hollow Ghost!" The mechanical dragon sliced Hollow Ghost in half, which destroyed it and created a small explosion of smoke. After the smoke cleared, Haley was kneeled on the ground as his life points fell to zero.

"Am I unable to protect Claire with my strength?" Haley asked.

Luna's voice then called out, "That's not true." Haley turned to her.

"Luna!" Leo yelled and Luna put both her hands on her heart and responded.

"Big brother," called a voice and Era walked out followed by Claire. She walked over to Haley. "What happened? It's no good if you leave your room."

"Big brother, please don't hurt these people," Claire said. She looked at Leo. "That person is trying to protect his little sister as well." He looked at Leo confused.

Leo began to run over to him but Luna ran over, calling Leo's name and grabbed his hands.

"You're safe," Leo said.

"Yeah. All thanks to you," Luna responded.

"Thank goodness," Leo stated. They let go and turned their attention to Haley who looked away.

"You don't have to protect me anymore. You're hurt as well. We're no longer…" she trailed off. She then looked at Era, "She told me what happened. She is a true angel."

Haley opened his eyes and said to Claire, "I couldn't protect you."

"You've protected me more than enough," Claire responded.

Haley then turned to Leo and Luna. "Leo, Luna," he called, "it looks like I did something horrible."

"It's okay," Luna told him. "You were trying so hard to protect Claire." She looked at Leo who nodded. Haley looked away again. Luna approached him and said, "Take this." She held out the card from the bed and he took it.

"Big brother," Claire said, "let's go. Like Era wants."

"Yeah," Haley replied. They looked at the twins one last time. "Leo… for me as well?"

"I'll protect Luna!" Leo answered.

He and Claire then grabbed hands and floated into the air before vanishing completely. The house began to disappear, leaving only small remains of it. A bunch of kids were grouped around inside the rubble.

"Why are they here?" Leo wondered.

"They're the people taken away by the forest," Yusei answered.

"Haley didn't realize he was dead, but his strong feelings to protect Claire held him here," Era explained. "Then he saw the people here as bad and trapped them here. They were a lost spirits, not able to find their way to the Afterlife."

Leo turned to Luna, saying, "I somehow understand Haley's feelings. If he was still alive, I might have been friends with him."

"Yeah, me too," Luna agreed.

"We better get back," Era stated. "Dexter will probably get worried if we don't."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about Dexter," Leo responded.

"Leo…" Luna groaned before they started laughing.

"Let's go you two," Era told them before taking off with Leo and Luna getting on behind Yusei.


	6. The French Twist

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 6: The French Twist

Third Person POV

Yusei woke up slowly and found himself in a dark area. He winced as he felt a bump on the back of his head. He then heard a familiar groan near him.

"Era?" he called and looked in the darkness to see her sitting up. "Era, are you alright?"

"I think," she replied. "You?"

"Just a bump," he answered. Era walked over and healed him a bit to relieve the pain. "What happened?"

"It's just a bit foggy in my memory. Alright, Yusei, practice time," Era stated. "Light this area a bit."

Yusei nodded and activated a spell to create a ball of light in his hand. They looked around and noticed they were in the back of a truck. Over to the side was Yusei's duel runner.

"I think I remember now," Yusei stated and Era nodded.

"Me too," she answered.

"I received a call for a job and was asked to be at a house. You tagged along wanting to be by me. Not getting a good vibe for some reason," Yusei recalled.

"When we got there, we heard a shout and went in to check it out. But then the guy who was supposed hurt, showed himself to be fine and we were knocked out," Era finished. "So what're we doing here?"

"A reasonable question, my friend," came a voice and a screen lit up behind him and Yusei quickly took down his spell. A man appeared on the screen. "Finally woken up, I see."

"Who are you?" Yusei asked.

"I'm Boss from the Tour Riding Group," the man replied.

"Why would you do that?" Yusei asked.

"Others who don't really know this group assumes," Boss answered.

"Why did you take us?" Yusei asked.

"Because you are the winner of the Fortune Cup. I intend to recruit you onto my team for the World Racing Grand Prix," Boss explained.

"Sorry, I already have a team I'm entering with my friends, Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan. And why did you take Era if you only wanted me?" Yusei responded.

"She is something we're planning on using for extra leverage if needed," Boss replied. "If you were to refuse, we'll set her on the market." Yusei tensed and stepped in front of Era protectively. "But I don't care that you already have a team. And no matter what you will join us. We will even use our doctor's psychology on you if we must."

"That sort of thing wouldn't be allowed," Yusei responded.

"It will and only we will know about this and no one else," Boss retorted.

. . .

Meanwhile, Jack, Crow, Mina, and Akiza had organized a search ground to look for Yusei and Era. As they drove, they discussed them receiving a different call about Yusei's capture.

"This may be all some prank," Jack suggested.

"Yeah," Crow agreed.

"We have to make sure it isn't," Akiza stated.

"Whenever it comes to any situation involving Era and especially Yusei, you always…" Jack started but was cut off.

"Stop right there, Jack!" Akiza yelled cutting him off.

Suddenly, they intercepted another call by a mysterious man, "We have caught Yusei. There heading for Valley Ridge. You better hurry up before his friends find him."

After the call cuts, Mina and Akiza turned to head towards the west route where the truck holding Yusei and Era was. Once they were on the road, Akiza's mark lit up and allowed her to feel his presence.

As they passed through a highway, she noticed a truck passing by at the same time as her mark ached a bit. "The truck down there," Akiza ordered. The two of them took another route and were soon close to the truck. The Crimson Dragon's mark activated and Akiza said, "Yusei's definitely in there."

. . .

In the truck, Yusei and Era's marks were also glowing bright with a burning sensation to them.

"What's this burning about?" Yusei wondered.

"Listen," Era called and he focused.

"Akiza and Mina are here," Yusei stated.

"Good to know you can still hear like an angel," Era responded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusei asked confused.

"Nothing," Era replied and Yusei gave her an unconvinced look.

. . .

Mina and Akiza drove up and noticed no one was driving the trailer. "Mina, bring us in closer," Akiza suggested.

"Why?" Mina asked.

"There's no way to make it stop. So I have to use my powers," Akiza stated as she activated her duel disk and summoned Rose Tentacles. "Smash that door, Rose Tentacles," she ordered and the monster began to whip the door, ultimately beginning to smash it.

"Akiza…" Mina called obviously concerned.

"It's alright. I can control it now," Akiza told her. Rose Tentacles finally cracked the door open and Yusei called to her.

Era pushed the left door open more as it was stuck by a groove for a moment. Yusei grabbed onto her as the truck jerked forward as it sped up to keep her in the truck. The trailer continued to speed up and it began to lose control making Rose Tentacles fall off and disappear. Mina and Akiza managed to catch up with it.

"Akiza, stay there!" Yusei warned but she impulsively jumped to one of the doors.

Era and Yusei helped her get on the trailer safely, but the door fell off taking her duel disk with it. Mina lost their sight as the car got ruined in the process.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of rescue?" Yusei asked.

"Fine, I won't help you next time," Akiza responded. "I'll leave you…" They were cut off by the truck speeding up.

"Guys, you can fight later. Right now, we need to hurry up or this truck may fall off the road at any moment," Era intervened.

Yusei nodded and headed towards his runner. Era turned into her angel form and got ready to fly. Yusei tossed Akiza one of his helmets and said, "Get on the runner."

"Uh, I really don't want to. Only one person can be on it," Akiza responded.

"More than one person can be on it. Era's ridden it before," Yusei retorted. "But there's not enough time before we're dead."

Akiza slowly gets on, warning him, "If I don't return home safely, you'll be sorry for this."

Era took to the air and her friends were about to jump off when a mysterious duel runner appeared in front of them. "Yusei Fudo, I challenge you to a duel."

"Are you from that group that took me?" Yusei as he and Akiza jumped back onto the road aboard the duel runner.

As they land, Yusei's duel runner automatically entered into autopilot duel mode. As Yusei's opponent followed after them, Yusei was forced into a turbo duel by the opponent saying, "There is a bomb attached to your duel runner and if you stop, it'll explode."

"Why recur to that?" Yusei asked.

The mysterious duel activated Speed World 2 and thus the three of them detoured to the dueling lanes. Era flew close to Yusei and Akiza.

"Hold on tight, Akiza," Yusei told her.

The duel began. _'Being close up like this… I'll be able to see Yusei's perspective when he's turbo dueling for the first time,'_ Akiza thought.

The duelist drew their card. "I summon Sacred Knight's Spearholder (Attack 800/ Defense 200) in defense position. I then set a face down and end my turn," they declared.

Yusei drew his card. "I summon Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) in attack mode. Now since I'm entering my battle phase, I activate Speed Warrior's effect to double its attack points during the battle phase only (Speed Warrior: Attack 1800)," he declared. "Speed Warrior, attack Sacred Knight's Spearholder!"

"I activate Floral Shield! This negates the attack and allows me to draw one card," the duelist defended.

And due to it being the end of the battle phase, Speed Warrior's effect expired, dropping its attack points to a normal 900. "I set three face downs and end my turn," Yusei finished.

The duelist drew. "I summon Horse of Floral Knights (Attack 400/ Defense 800) in attack position. And with its effect, I can draw one card from my deck," they declared. "Next I activate the Speed Spell- Overboost! This increases my speed counters by four. Next I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Fusion! This allows me to fuse Sacred Knight's Spearholder with Horse of Floral Knights in order to fusion summon, Centaur Mina (Attack 2200/ Defense 1600)! Centaur Mina, attack Speed Warrior!"

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! This negates your attack," Yusei fought.

"I activate the effect of Centaur Mina! It negates the effect of your Scrap-Iron Scarecrow and returns it to its original position," the duelist retorted and their monster destroyed Speed Warrior and knocked Yusei's life points to 2700. "I set a face down and end my turn."

Yusei drew his card. "I summon Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in attack position and use its effect to revive Speed Warrior in defense mode with its effects negated. Now I tune Speed Warrior with Junk Synchron to synchro summon. Fight, Junk Warrior (Attack 2300/ Defense 1300)!" he called. "Junk Warrior, attack Centaur Mina!"

"I activate Fleur Guard! This prevents Centaur Mina from being destroyed by battle," the duelist defended though her life points did take the hit still and fell to 3900.

"I set a face down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

The duelist drew her card. "I summon Fleur Synchron (Attack 400/ Defense 200) in attack mode. Now I tune Centaur Mina with Fleur Synchron in order to synchro summon Chevalier de Fleur (Attack 2700/ Defense 2300)!" they called.

' _Even though this is just a normal duel for them, it's very different from a psychic duel too. What unusual feelings are evoking at this very moment?'_ Akiza thought.

"Since Fleur Synchron was used for a synchro summon of synchro monster, its effect activates, allowing me to special summon Apprentice Knight (Attack 1000/ Defense 100) from my hand in attack mode. Chevalier de Fleur, attack Junk Warrior!" the duelist ordered.

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to negate the attack," Yusei defended again.

"With my Chevalier de Fleur, I can negate the effect of your Scrap-Iron Scarecrow and destroy it," the duelist fought. Junk Warrior was destroyed and Yusei's life points fell to 2300. "I activate Miracle's Wake! This revives Junk Warrior."

"I set two face downs and end my turn," the duelist stated. They then pulled to a stop. Yusei realized the bomb was just a bluff and pulled to a stop as well while Era landed next to him. They took off their helmet to reveal a woman. "Hello, Yusei Fudo. My name is Sherry."

"A female turbo duelist?" Akiza muttered surprised.

"I must apologize for the fake bomb threat," Sherry stated. "But I needed to test your skills. My goal was to have you join me team and no one else's. I have come to recruit you and with the desire to win the WRGP, as well as another motive. Our duel was a formal way of greeting. Shall we continue?" Yusei nodded.

Before they left, Yusei told Akiza, "You might want to get off my runner. This duel might get dangerous."

"No," Akiza refused. "I have to see your turbo duel to the end."

"Alright," Yusei agreed. They took off with Era flying again. He drew his card. "I summon Turbo Synchron (Attack 100/ Defense 500) in attack mode. Now I tune Junk Warrior with Turbo Synchron in order to synchro summon, Turbo Warrior (Attack 2500/ Defense 1500)! Turbo Warrior, attack Chevalier de Fleur! And due to the first effect of Turbo Warrior, the attack of your monster is halved until the end of the damage step (Chevalier de Fleur: Attack 1350)."

"I activate For Our Dreams! By tributing Apprentice Knight, I can present Chevalier de Fleur from being destroyed by battle," Sherry defended as her life points fell to 2750. And at the end of the damage step, Turbo Warrior's effect expired returning Sherry's monster's attack to a full 2700.

"I then activate Synchro Out! This returns Turbo Warrior to my extra deck and allows me to special summon Junk Warrior (Attack 2300/ Defense 1300) and Turbo Synchron (Attack 100/ Defense 500) from my graveyard in attack mode," Yusei fought. "And now I play Urgent Tuning! This allows me to perform a synchro summon during the battle phase."

"I activate Chevalier de Fleur to negate Urgent Tuning and destroy it!" Sherry responded. "And now I activate Chain Close! This prevents you from activating any spell or traps until the end phase."

"Turbo Synchron attack Chevalier de Fleur!" Yusei ordered. Sherry's monster was switched to defense position due to Turbo Synchron's effect but Yusei's life points felt to 100. "Now I activate Turbo Synchron's effect to special summon Junk Collector (Attack 1000/ Defense 2200) from my hand in attack position. Now I activate the effect of Junk Collector. By removing it and Urgent Tuning from play, I can activate the effect of Urgent Tuning and tune Junk Warrior with Turbo Synchron once again to bring back Turbo Warrior. Now Turbo Warrior, attack Chevalier de Fleur!" The attack succeeded and her monster was destroyed.

"You may have defeated my monster but you're life points are down to 100. I'll use the effect of Speed World 2 to finish the duel. The outcome will be decided depending on what I draw," Sherry said. She drew but did not get the necessary card. "Because of this, I need you even more." Akiza and Era were a little shocked hearing Sherry say that and Era was fighting the urge to give a defensive glare. "Yusei, what is the reason for you behind dueling? Why are you entering the WRGP?"

"I want to enter the Grand Prix to find that motive," Yusei answered.

"So in the end, you are dueling without any purpose at all," Sherry concluded. "But for me, there is a motive. And that is of revenge."

 **-Flashback-**

As she was her parents' only daughter, who were also card players, they lived a life happily at the time. However, trouble and tragedy came for them as soon Sherry's father's company was being bought by a rival company. Though, having a daughter around, they tried their best not to show any signs of trouble.

But one night, everything change. Sherry lied in her bed when gunshots were heard. She walked out to inspect the sound when she came up on a gruesome scene. Her parents along with other people were dead in the dining room.

She cried for her parents when a man, Elsworth, grabbed her. She escaped with him.

 **-Flashback Ended-**

"They are still after me," Sherry said. "After a while of travelling, I had learned that another organization way behind my parent's death, Yliaster."

"Yliaster?" Akiza repeated.

"Goodwin and Roman mentioned the name before," Yusei recalled.

"Yeah," Era agreed.

"Yliaster is a powerful and devious group. I discovered why they were after me. It involved a mysterious card hidden within my teddy bear and I had later discovered it by Elsworth," Sherry stated. "Yliaster is somehow involved in the World Racing Grand Prix. I want you to win so that you can come closer to the truth of what Yliaster is are really after and the reason behind my parents' death."

"He can't. Yusei had already promised to win the Grand Prix with Jack and Crow," Akiza objected. "You don't even know him."

"Are you so sure?" Sherry responded. "Due to the accelerated speed and uniqueness of our duel, I know Yusei's emotions as well as mine. Such a concept can only be understood by turbo duelists." She took her turn and drew her card. "I summon Sacred Knight's Shield-Bearer (Attack 800/ Defense 1300) in defense mode. Then I activate my Shield-Bearer's effect. By removing from play Sacred Knight's Spearholder from my graveyard, I can draw one card. I set a face down and end my turn."

Yusei drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing seven speed counters, I can draw one card," he declared. "Next I summon Drill Synchron (Attack 800/ Defense 300)! Turbo Warrior, attack Shield-Bearer. And thanks to Drill Synchron's effect, my warrior can still inflict damage." Sherry's monster was destroyed and her life points fell to 1550. "And now I activate the last effect of Drill Synchron to draw one card."

"I activate Freedom Release! This returns all monsters on the field to our decks," Sherry fought.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Yusei declared.

Sherry drew her card. "I summon Sacred Knight Joan (Attack 1900/ Defense 1300) in attack position. When this monster is destroyed by card effect, I will be able to add one speed spell to my hand. Sacred Knight Joan, attack Yusei directly!" she ordered. "But due to the first effect of Joan, it loses 300 attack points for the damage step only (Sacred Knight Joan: Attack 1600)."

"I activate Synchro Spirits! By removing Junk Warrior in my graveyard from play, I can special summon Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) and Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in defense position," Yusei defended. A replay occurred and Junk Synchron was destroyed. Joan's attack points also returned back to a normal 1900.

"Yusei, be careful," Era told him.

"It'll be alright, Era," he reassured her as he drew her card. "I activate the Speed Spell- High Speed Crash! This destroys Speed Warrior and allows me to set a card. Next I activate Starlight Road! This negates High Speed Crash's effect and destroys it while also summoning Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)."

They turned as a truck suddenly came crashing down from a bridge that was above them. As that occurred, Yusei, Akiza, and Era, spotted a familiar figure standing on the bridge. Era immediately cast a spell to hold the truck as they passed.

"What are you exactly, Era?" Sherry asked. "To stop that entire truck from falling is quite impossible."

"Did you once think it's impossible for the dead to be brought back to life?" Era replied.

"What do you mean?" Sherry responded.

"Era's different. She's not even alive," Akiza explained before Era could, shocking Sherry.

They stopped on their runners and Era landed. Yusei and Sherry disclose upon the outcome of the duel. However, Sherry doesn't take much interest into it.

She said, "The accelerated world in which we live on doesn't end here. Expect to meet again, Yusei. As well as you, Era. As you have also peaked my curiosity in which you may be able to help."

Era was surprised by the comment while Sherry along with Elsworth left the scene.

' _What am I dueling for?'_ Yusei thought.


	7. The Synchro Duelist

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 7: The Synchro Duelist

Era's POV

I watched Yusei as he practiced the Demon Exorcist Spell. This was his fifth time and three times, he had successfully completed it already. At the moment, Yusei's spell finished and was successful.

" _Moving up in the Afterlife, Yusei,"_ I told him in Angelic.

" _That spell definitely wears you out,"_ he said in the same language.

" _It does. Which is why you need the demon in the circle before you can activate it,"_ I responded _. "Do you remember when I banished the demon inside Armstrong while you were at the Facility?"_ Yusei nodded _. "And you remember the spell to look into the future, correct?"_ He nodded again. _"When you know where a demon will be, you need to put the circle down when they don't expect it. The circle isn't able to be seen by demons. Only humans and angels can see it, which is why they easily step into it. But if they see the angel before they activate it, the demon can destroy the circle and that the destruction of the circle without it already being used can cause a serious explosion that kills the human and anyone in the vicinity. Even the angel. It's why I didn't show myself when you were dueling Armstrong."_

" _I see,"_ Yusei responded.

" _You are doing better at successfully succeeding in a Demon Exorcism. But you still have a lot of practice to do before you can finish training,"_ I told him.

" _I know,"_ he responded looking down a bit.

" _I know you don't like hiding being an angel from our friends,"_ I responded. _"But you're almost done. You just have to finish mastering the Demon Exorcist spell and then you can tell them."_ Yusei nodded. _"Is something else bothering you?"_

" _Just the Ghost and what Sherry had asked me,"_ he answered.

" _I'm worried about the Ghost too, Yusei. After knowing that a demon is involved, I'm a bit frightened too,"_ I responded and he looked at me. _"I don't even know what I duel for. You're going into the tournament to find out, right?"_ Yusei nodded. _"Then you'll find out soon. I can't enter so I'll have to find my own way to figure it out."_

" _I'm sure you'll find it, Era,"_ he reassured. _"You're strong. I had always thought you dueled to protect people."_

" _I fight to protect people like you will be. In all honesty, you already do,"_ I responded. _"But I don't duel enough to say what I duel for."_

" _If I know anything about you, Era, it's that you duel for your home and Earth,"_ Yusei told me and I looked at him. I paused as he gently kissed me. When he pulled back, he looked at me with earnest eyes that shined over like an angel's.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts for the time being. _"We'll talk about this when we're done with training for the day. Right now, do the spell again,"_ I ordered and Yusei gave a slight chuckle before we continued training.

. . .

Later that night, the WRGP announcement party was beginning and Yusei didn't give me any room for argument on coming. And due to the amount of people, he convinced me to ride behind him. Let's just say, it took a lot of convincing to get me to come, let alone ride on his duel runner with him.

Jack had said he would meet us there and I didn't really know what he was planning, but I didn't bother to ask either.

At the moment, Crow, Yusei, and I met Akiza, Leo, and Luna who had arrived at the party area dressed up. Quite unlike me who refused to dress up. The only formal way I dress is in my angel attire.

We entered the room and were soon met with Jack. Crow struggled not to laugh at him outfit.

While, I asked, "What are you wearing?"

"Thought I should get a bit dressed up for this occasion," Jack replied. Crow sighed and I knew the money it probably cost to get that thing made. And it did look quite ridiculous in my opinion.

That's when a voice called to us, "Hey, there!" We turned to a member of another team. "You're from another team, aren't you?"

"Yeah, who are you?" Yusei asked.

"My name's Andre. Me and my team are participating in the tournament too," he greeted. "You're Yusei Fudo, right?"

"Yep," Yusei answered.

"I heard you won the Fortune Cup. I can't wait to see how you duel in this tournament," Andre responded. He looked at me. "And who's this?"

"My name's Era," I introduced, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how he asked it. I could tell Yusei was struggling not to glare defensively.

"Anyway, I should probably get back to my team. We'll see you in the tournament," Andre stated before walking away.

"That was a bit awkward," Crows stated.

"Yep," I answered.

I turned along with Yusei as someone passed by us, saying in a low whisper, "You'll find what you're looking for." But he then disappeared before we could get a good look at him.

" _Did you see him?"_ Yusei asked me in Angelic, making sure the others didn't hear.

" _Yeah,"_ I answered.

Suddenly someone rammed into the party and a man on the huge duel runner demanded, "Listen here! I'm Dobocle and if you want this tournament to run smoothly, you're going to give me half of the prize money!"

Some Sector Security officers came up to arrest him but he dodged them and continued to wreak havoc on the party.

"Akiza," Luna called.

"Right," Akiza responded and summoned her Signer dragon which tossed him out the door. I used a restoration spell to fix all the broken glass on the windows and walls.

Suddenly, another Ghost appeared and challenged Dobocle to a duel. The man accepted and they rode off. Once again, Yusei convinced me to stay behind him after what happened last time with the Ghost.

We took off with the others following when a man appeared making everyone stop. "Hello, Yusei," the man greeted.

"Who are you?" Yusei asked.

"You can call me Vizor. You cannot beat the Ghost in your current condition," the man said.

"Huh?" Yusei responded.

"I know an alternate strategy to beat the Ghost. If you want to know it, you'll have to follow me in a turbo duel," Vizor replied.

"Fine," Yusei agreed. He told me to get off which I agreed easily. He then took off with the man to duel him.

"I don't like this. Especially since Yusei's dueling someone we don't know," Akiza stated.

"It's fine. It _is_ Yusei we're talking about," Leo responded.

"Yusei accepted the duel because he saw something in this Vizor guy," I stated.

"Yeah," Crow agreed.

I then flew to get a better view of the duel while the others followed Yusei by their vehicles.

Yusei took the first turn and drew his card. "I summon Tricular (Attack 300/ Defense 300) in defense mode and set once card face down.

"Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon Tech Genus Striker (Attack 800/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack mode. Next since I special summoned a level four or below monster, I can special summon my Tech Genus Warwolf (Attack 1200/ Defense 0). Now I tune Tech Genus Warwolf with Tech Genus Striker in order to synchro summon, Tech Genus Power Gladiator (Attack 2300/ Defense 1000)!" Vizor declared. "Next I normal summon Tech Genus Cyber Magician (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Now with the effect of Cyber Magician, I can tune it with the Tech Genus Rush Rhino in my hand to synchro summon. Come forth, Tech Genus Wonder Magician (Attack 1900/ Defense 0)! Tech Genus Gladiator, attack Tricular! And due to its effect, you still take the damage." Yusei's monster was destroyed as his life points fell to 2000.

"I activate Tricular's effect! When it's destroyed, I can special summon Bicular (Attack 200/ Defense 200) in defense mode!" Yusei fought.

"Tech Genus Wonder Magician, attack Bicular!" Vizor ordered.

The attack succeeded in destroying Bicular but Yusei activated its effect to summon Unicycular (Attack 100/ Defense 100) in defense position.

' _Watch it, Yusei,'_ I thought.

Yusei drew his card to begin his turn. "I activate the Speed Spell- Synchro Defuse. This allows me to take control of Tech Genus Power Gladiator until the end phase," he played.

"I don't think so. I tune Tech Genus Power Gladiator with Tech Genus Wonder Magician!" Vizor declared.

"You're synchro summoning during my turn?!" Yusei exclaimed shocked.

"I Accel synchro summon!" Vizor declared before he sped so fast that he disappeared from sight. In the next moment, he appeared again with a new monster on his field. "Arise, Tech Genus Blade Blaster (Attack 3300/ Defense 2200)!"

' _And since Power Gladiator is no longer on the field, Synchro Defuse's effect is negated,'_ I thought.

"Then I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton! This allows me to draw two cards as long as I send one card to the graveyard," Yusei declared. "Now I normal summon Drill Synchron (Attack 800/ Defense 300) in attack mode. And next I activate the effect of Quillbolt Hedgehog. Since there is a tuner monster on my field, I can summon it to the field from my graveyard (Attack 800/ Defense 800). Now I tune Unicycular and Quillbolt Hedgehog with Drill Synchron to synchro summon. Rise, Drill Warrior (Attack 2400/ Defense 2000)! Now I activate the effect of Drill Warrior. By cutting its attack points in half until the end phase, I can attack you directly. So Drill Warrior, attack!" Yusei ordered. The attack his and Vizor's life points fell to 2800. "I set a face down and end my turn." And because it was the end phase, Drill Warrior's attack points returned to a normal 2400.

Vizor drew. "Tech Genus Blade Blaster, attack Drill Warrior!" he ordered.

"I activate Wave Force to destroy you Blade Blaster!" Yusei defended.

' _That won't be enough, Yusei,'_ I thought.

"I activate Blade Blaster's effect. By discarding one card, I can negate your trap and destroy it," Vizor defended. The attack continued, destroying Yusei's monster and dropping the Signer's life points to 1100.

"I activate Miracle's Wake! This allows me to special summon Drill Warrior back from my graveyard," Yusei declared.

"I end my turn," Vizor finished.

Yusei drew his card to begin his turn. "I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Energy! This increases Drill Warrior's attack by the number of speed counters I have times 200 (Drill Warrior: Attack 3200)," he declared. "Next I normal summon Gauntlet Warrior (Attack 400/ Defense 1600) in attack mode and activate its effect. By tributing it, Drill Warrior gains 500 attack and defense points until the end of the next damage step (Drill Warrior: Attack 3700/ Defense 2500). Drill Warrior, attack Tech Genus Blade Blaster!"

"I activate the second effect of Blade Blaster! This removes it from play until the end phase," Vizor declared. Yusei attacked again with Drill Warrior, and with it being a direct attack, Vizor's life points fell to 0.

They all pulled to a stop and Yusei asked, "You threw the duel. Why?"

"I can't reveal everything all at once," Vizor answered. I landed next to Yusei. "Perhaps your friend will help you learn what you need to know. The Accel Synchro." He then took off with that.

The others rode up and Akiza asked, "What did he say?"

"He said I needed to figure out a synchro summoning called Accel Synchro," Yusei answered. They then took off with that.


	8. The Past, the Heir and the Legend

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 8: The Past, the Heir and the Legend

Era's POV

As the time turned to night, Yusei followed me for another demon scouting. As we sat on the infinity tower, I gave a soft, nearly inaudible sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Yusei asked looking at me.

"Hm? Yeah," I lied.

"You're still a bad liar, Era," he responded. I looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I replied.

Yusei grabbed my hand gently and told me in Angelic, _"You can tell me, Era."_

" _I'm… I just don't know how you got Akiza to turbo duel. And now…"_ I trailed off looking down a bit.

" _Now, what?"_ Yusei gently pushed.

" _I'm just… conflicted. That's all,"_ I answered. Yusei squeezed my hand for reassurance and I looked at him. _"Seeing you and Akiza ride like that… it both interests and worries me. Especially since Akiza's reasoning to learn was to understand how you feel when you turbo duel."_

" _So you can't decide whether you truly want to learn or not,"_ Yusei realized and I slowly nodded, turning my face to the ground far below. _"Era, why_ are _you against riding a duel runner so much?"_

I looked at him with worried eyes. Yusei carefully brought me into him to reassure me that it was fine. I sighed, turning my face down again, and began my tale, _"About thirty years ago, I was scouting the roads one night for demons. One of my friends from Angel Academy, Demaya, was supposed to be meeting me there so we could scout out together for the first time in forty years. When I was flying, I saw a man on a duel runner with her trying to get away. But he had her by the arm and she couldn't escape. Back then, Combat Angels weren't required to learn the phase-through spell. I had learned but Demaya refused, saying she didn't need it. I went to help her but before I could get to her, the man yanked so hard, his duel runner pulled out from under him."_ I could tell Yusei was getting an idea as to what happened next as he brought me in closer to help me. _"The duel runner crashed and the force from the speed made its engine explode with Demaya and the man in the flames. The man was killed on impact with the explosion and Demaya was hurt severely. I called for a Healer Angel as I tried to help her stay alive. When the Healer Angel arrived, she was already fading and before the Healer Angel could do anything, she died. After that incident, Combat Angels were required to learn the phase-through spell without any setbacks. But for me, it isn't riding the duel runner itself that frightens me. It's just the flashbacks I get from that day that hurt the worst. Just riding a duel runner… it brings back those memories every time and it makes me scared. It isn't riding and crashing that frightens me, especially since I know it is too little to consider the likelihood of it happening with you, but the memories."_

I felt a tear slide down my cheek and Yusei placed a hand on my cheek, turning my face to him again, while wiping the tear away with his thumb. I looked in his eyes only to see understanding and kindness looking into mine.

" _It's alright, Era,"_ he told me. _"Don't worry. If I had known that sooner, I wouldn't have pushed as much as I did. Why didn't you tell me?"_

" _I… didn't want to worry you. Besides, I want to seem like the best Senior Angel I can be. Especially since you're my student,"_ I answered. I was going to say more but Yusei's lips caught mine in his kiss. I couldn't stop myself from giving into the kiss and unconsciously leaned in further.

Yusei slowly pulled back and looked into my eyes. _"But I'm also your boyfriend and love you. You don't have to hide things like that from me. Even if you are my teacher right now, I have to also be there for you too,"_ he responded in a whisper. _"So let me do that, alright? Let me protect you too."_ I gave a small nod.

I heard a demon whispering close by and Yusei and I turned behind us to see a demon flying towards us. I bolted to my feet followed by Yusei and the demon stopped across from us, standing on the other end of the top.

"Yusei, do you remember how I told you that only higher up demons could give humans anything?" I asked in a whispered, only looking at demon. He nodded and watched the demon as it took formed of a more human appearance. "This is Brehnam. Just as the Angels have a council, the demons have their secondary king."

"Secondary king?" Yusei repeated.

"He was the heir to the King of the Underworld," I informed him and he gave a look of shock for a moment but quickly hid it.

"It's good to know you heard of me," Brehnam stated.

"What're you doing here?" I asked sternly.

"Well someone doesn't know how to speak to their superiors," the demon replied.

"You're no superior of ours," I retorted.

"What do you want?" Yusei asked.

Brehnam shot next to Yusei and began to walk around us in a circle. As he passed me, he stroked my wings gently, making me tense and wince a bit as the demon's dark energy burned my wings. Yusei immediately yanked me away from Brehnam. The new demon king grinned a bit.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be hiding in the Underworld?" I asked sternly.

"Why, I just wanted to meet the two angels who destroyed our beloved king," Brehnam answered. He neared his face to mine and I glared as he got closer. "Especially since one, little pretty is hiding what makes the Guardian Angel of Light so special."

"Era, what's he talking about?" Yusei asked.

"I'll explain it to you at a better time," I replied. I returned my attention to the demon whose face was now mere inches from mine. "Don't you have to be in the Underworld, mourning the loss of your king?"

"Our time of mourning has passed long again, Guardian Angel. I have taken power now and I intend to avenge our king and especially," Brehnam stopped and glared at me before continuing, "Izoa."

"What would care about Izoa?" Yusei asked slowly pulling me behind him. _'I thought he stopped being so protective when he became an angel,'_ I thought slightly annoyed

"You really didn't know much about the demon's life and Izoa, did you?" the new demon king asked. I glared. "Just as you have the Angel Academy, as Izoa told us about, we have Hell Class. And Izoa and I were best friends ourselves."

I widened my eyes shocked. "Demons can't even make attachments like that," I retorted.

"Is that what you learned?" Brehnam asked with a frown. He then grew into a depraved smile. "You angels really are clueless when it comes to demons." Yusei and I glared defensively. "If you must know, demons can only find and lock an attachment with one other. It could be similar to the humans' version of marriage only there is no separation." He gave a infuriated glare and grabbed my neck and pulled me to his face before Yusei could do anything. "And _you_ took him from me." His dark energy was digging into my neck and I knew steam was rolling off from it. He looked at Yusei. "And then you took our beloved king." He tightened the grip on my neck and it was becoming difficult to breathe.

Before the demon lord could even move anything else, Yusei shot an offensive ball of light and hit Brehnam in the chest. Brehnam was forced to let go of me and I crouched to the ground, coughing as the pressure and digging pain was released from my throat. Yusei held me close and began to heal me.

"You will both pay for what you have done," Brehnam told us before flying off.

I slowly regained my breath and Yusei's healing helped with the pain. I weakly leaned into him and Yusei held my head to his chest with his left hand while his right held me as close to his body as possible.

"Yusei…" I began but he cut me off.

"It's alright, Era. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he told me in a whisper. I gave a small nod. "Era, what did Brehnam mean when he said there was something about the Guardian Angel of Light that made you more different?" I looked down a bit. "Era?"

"Not much is known on it. The best we go on is the legend. The first Guardian Angel of Light was said to have been born four hundred years before Angel kind was first created," I explained and he looked at me shocked. "His highness had created her to begin the protection of the human race and protect other planets." Yusei was obviously confused on where I was going with this. "Human kind had been created two hundred years before angels were, Yusei. Our lord, the Crimson Dragon, had tried to keep the peace between us all. But he couldn't do that himself. So he found a human who had died in the Afterlife that had more light than any others. When he explained her job, she accepted and they say she passed out for a couple months while she changed. When she woke back up, she found she had little memory of her past but pushed it aside. The Crimson Dragon then tasked her with finding others to become angels and he would decide if they were right. But there were very little and not enough people could be made into angels to protect the entire world. The first Guardian Angel was said to become worried she had failed her duty but the Crimson Dragon suggested something else but he wouldn't make her do it unless she wanted to."

"What… did he suggest?" Yusei asked.

"He asked for her to create more angels with her power, so more could protect the Earth. It was said it took a lot of her power but only the Guardian Angel of Light could create angels from their own power," I explained and his eyes widened in shock. "As the legend says, using her power she was able to make a hundred angels within two hundred years. But her power was draining fast. And our lord ordered her to stop before she killed herself. But she was already exhausted and drained. As a resort to save her for as long as possible, the Crimson Dragon sent his power and heart into her before she could die again. Many of the new angels were still infants at that time so that's why there's so little to go on. The only one who knows for a fact was the Crimson Dragon. Then when the Wicked Gods and King of the Underworld rose to power, the Crimson Dragon asked for her assistance once again. He needed his power to defeat the King of the Underworld. But he hadn't realized before that by giving her his power and heart so she could live on, he would be taking away the final threads that kept her alive. Though the Guardian Angel of Light could tell without entirely knowing that she would die, she gave it back to him." Yusei was shocked. "When the battle was over, the Crimson Dragon and his servants were saddened by the loss of the first born angel. And her children were too young to remember her. It was said that the dragon servants of the our lord had suggested to keep most knowledge of the Guardian Angel of Light a secret as they knew since King of the Underworld was to return and if he knew that a new angel were to be chosen, he would have her found and killed before she could realize her duty."

"How much of the information was told in the textbooks?" Yusei asked.

"We mainly talked about the battle itself and less about the Guardian Angel of Light. In my class, many Combat Angels had asked about the Guardian Angel of Light wanting to know more than what was in the textbook. But the Knowledge Angels said all they had to go on were the books," I answered. "The biggest section we were taught on the Guardian Angel of Light was the legend. After that…" I shook my head.

"It's alright, Era," he told me and I looked at him. "I won't let anything happen to you." I gave him a small grin. "Do you think you'll have to do what the first Guardian Angel of Light did with the other angels?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure. Our lord will probably tell me if I must." Yusei nodded in acceptance. I looked down a bit. "Yusei…" I called quietly and he looked at me closer. "I'm… scared. If Brehnam is coming after us…"

"I promise, Era. I'll keep you safe," he reassured me in a comforting whisper.

"What about you?" I asked nervous as I looked him in the eyes. They shined over like an angel's would when their heart wanted to show it.

"I'll be fine as long as you are," he told me. I gave a worried look. "Era, I became an angel so I could be with you. And I'll always be with you, no matter what." I gave a small nod and Yusei leaned down and kissed me. I held onto him as he held his mouth to mine, placing a hand on my cheek. But he soon pulled back for us to breathe, though I could tell we were both reluctant. He gave me a small, comforting grin before he told me, "Come on. Let's fly around for a bit." I gave a grin and nodded before we took off.


	9. The Acceleration

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 9: The Acceleration

Era's POV

The next day, I helped Yusei, Jack, and Crow finish up the engine of a duel runner. A knock came at the door just as we finished and Akiza walked in wearing a leather, riding outfit.

"Hey, Akiza," I greeted. "Ready for your test?"

"I'm a bit nervous that I won't make it," she admitted.

"You'll do great, Akiza," Yusei told her. "We made this duel runner for you. It's assembled from parts obtained from a junkyard but it should be enough for your test."

"Thanks," Akiza responded. "I definitely have to get my license now."

They talked a bit more before Crow and Jack had to go out, Crow for a delivery and Jack for coffee, and Akiza needed to head back to Duel Academy for class.

Later on Akiza came asking for help with balancing and riding backwards and Yusei took her to a skating ring for it. The twins and I followed and I had to convince the twins that it wasn't a date and explain to them the meaning of this. I laughed a bit at Yusei who was trying to help Akiza learn how to skate. I knew Akiza didn't know how to roller skate and didn't bother to warn Yusei. I wanted to see how he handled it.

When they were finished and Akiza needed to head back, Yusei came to me and asked, "Did you know she couldn't roller skate?"

"Yep," I answered with a small grin.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Luna asked.

"I wanted to see how he would handle the situation," I answered and Yusei gave me an annoyed look. Leo and Luna laughed a bit at it making him sigh in defeat. "Let's get going."

. . .

The next day, Yusei and I worked on Akiza's duel runner for a bit. Jack and Crow had helped but not being too skilled in mechanics couldn't do much. Crow was a bit more considering he made his own duel runner.

Akiza stopped by just as we finished and was shocked and happy that we remodeled it for her. "Thanks, guys," she told me and Yusei.

"Jack and Crow helped too. But they had to go somewhere," I informed my psychic friend.

"I'll definitely get my license. After all the effort you guys have put into it, I can't let you down," she said.

"You're our friend, Akiza," I told her. "You don't need to thank us." Yusei nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of your license, you're getting the final exam to get it today, right?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah," Akiza answered.

"We'll be there watching and cheering you on," I told her. She nodded with a small smile.

"Just like you've always done for me, right Era?" she asked.

"Yep," I answered. "Why don't you take the new duel runner for a spin?"

Akiza gave a confident grin and pulled it out. Yusei drove on his runner and I took flight behind the psychic who rode her duel runner smoothly.

"Feel good?" Yusei asked Akiza.

"Yeah," she answered. "Feels a lot smoother and stable."

I flew up closer to her. "Good," I told her. "It should be easier to ride."

Akiza's watch went off. "Oh! I need to get to the exam," she stated.

"Perfect timing then," I said making her laugh and Yusei grin.

We drove off with me following by flight to the Duel Academy's riding field. When we arrived, I changed back to my human form and we were met by Jack, Leo, Luna, and Crow. I also noticed three previous students that I remember Akiza telling me they didn't like her because she succeeded over them.

We turned as another guy crashed before the duel even commenced. I was tempted to go help them but I knew Yusei wouldn't like that, for one, and he was already getting up fine.

My attention was taken back to the others when Jack asked Akiza, "So who's in charge of the exam?"

"That would be me," Trudge stated walking up.

"You're in charge of the exam?" Crow asked.

"Didn't really expect that to be something you would do," I told him.

Trudge smirked. "Learn something new every day. Figured that must be true ever since I found out there were angels around New Domino," he stated glancing around Era who shrugged with a grin. "Anyway," he turned back to Akiza, "because of the World Racing Grand Prix, the amount of people requesting a license has increased way up. So, in order you to pass the exam and obtain one, you have to defeat me in a turbo duel."

I noticed Yusei was a bit worried as was everyone else but I stay relatively calm. I knew Akiza could do this. Just like an angel trying to fly for the first time. It's annoying and difficult at first. But you get the hang of it eventually.

"Now I won't go easy of you, Akiza," Trudge said.

"I don't want you to," she responded and they soon left for the duel.

We sat in our seats in the stands with Yusei sitting next to me, Jack sitting behind us and the twins and Crow sitting to the left of me and Yusei. Up further to the right and behind us were the three guys who had a devious smirk. I didn't like it very much. I turned back as the duel started.

Akiza took the first turn and drew his card. "I summon Revival Rose (Attack 1300/ Defense 1300) in defense mode," she declared. "Next I activate the Speed Spell…" she stopped as she didn't have enough speed counter to use her spell.

' _Remember the speed counters, Akiza,'_ I thought. Though I didn't turbo duel, I had been around Yusei with his duels and around other turbo duels enough to know and figure out the rules well.

Akiza shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I end my turn," she finished.

Trudge drew his card. "I summon Stygian Street Patrol (Attack 1600/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. Stygian Street Patrol attack, Revival Rose!" he ordered and the attack hit destroying Akiza monsters. "And now its effect activates, inflicting damage to you equal to the level of your monster times 100." Akiza's life points fell to 3600 with the blow. "I end my turn with one face down."

Akiza drew her card. "I summon Twilight rose Knight (Attack 1000/ Defense 1000) in attack mode and activate its effect. This allows me to special summon my Lord Poison (Attack 1500/ Defense 1000) in attack mode. Now I tune Lord Poison with Twilight Rose Knight in order to synchro summon. Appear, Black Rose Dragon (Attack 2400/ Defense 1800)! Black Rose Dragon, attack Stygian Street Patrol!" she ordered. The attack succeeded in destroying Trudge's monster and bringing his life points down to 3200.

"I activate Final Penalty! This destroys your dragon and inflicts damage to you equal to half the attack of my Street Patrol," Trudge fought and Akiza's dragon was destroyed as said and her life points fell to 2800.

"I activate the effect of Revival Rose to bring itself back in defense mode," Akiza continued. "I then place two cards face down and end my turn."

Trudge drew to begin his turn. "I activate the effect of Stygian Patrol. By removing it from play from my graveyard, I can special summon another Stygian Street Patrol in attack mode. Next I normal summon Stygian Security (Attack 100/ Defense 600)," he declared. "Next I tune Stygian Street Patrol with Stygian Security in order to synchro summon, Stygian Sergeants (Attack 2200/ Defense 1800)! Now Stygian Sergeants, attack Revival Rose!" The attack destroyed Akiza monster. "And now since it destroyed your monster by battle, I can activate Stygian Sergeants' effect. This increases its attack by 800 (Stygian Sergeants: Attack 3000) in attack mode and allows it to attack again. So, Stygian Sergeants, attack Akiza directly!"

"I activate Offensive Guard! This halves the attack of Stygian Sergeants until the end phase (Stygian Sergeants: Attack 1500) and I can draw one card," Akiza defended. The attack continued and Akiza's life points dropped to 1300. "And now since we're entering the end of the battle phase, you monster's effect expires (Stygian Sergeants: Attack 700)."

"I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Demon! This inflicts 1000 points of damage at you," Trudge fought and Akiza's life points fell to 300. "And on my next standby phase, I can add Speed Spell- Speed Demon from my graveyard to my hand by removing three of my speed counters. I'll end my turn with one face down." And since it was the end phase, Offense Guard's effect expires returning Stygian Sergeants to a full 2200.

Akiza drew her card. "I summon Witch of the Black Rose (Attack 1700/ Defense 1200) in attack mode and activate its effect which allows me to draw one card," she declare and drew her card. "And since I drew a monster, Witch of the Black Rose is not destroyed."

"I activate Climatic Barricade! Since you normal summoned a monster, all monsters level four and below can't attack this turn. And you'll be taking 500 points of damage for everyone level four of below monster you control during your end phase," Trudge played.

"I activate the Speed Spell- Summon Speeder to summon Dark Verger (Attack 0/ Defense 1000) in attack mode. Now I tune Dark Verger with Witch of the black Rose to synchro summon. Bloom, Splendid Rose (Attack 2200/ Defense 2000) in attack mode. And now I activate the effect of Splendid Rose. By removing from play Dark Verger from my graveyard, I can halve the attack points of Stygian Sergeants until the end phase (Stygian Sergeants: Attack 1100). Now Splendid Rose, attack Stygian Sergeants!" she ordered. The attack succeeded in destroying the monster and dropping Trudge's life points to 2100. "And now I activate Blossom Bombardment! This inflicts damage equal to half the attack points of Stygian Sergeants straight at you." Trudge's life points dropped again to 1000. "And now I activate the second effect of Splendid Rose! By removing Lord Poison from play, I can halve Splendid Rose's attack points (Splendid Rose: Attack 1100) and it can attack again!"

Just as she was about to win, an explosion hit a frame holding large pipes. The pipes came crashing down after Trudge had passed them. I could see Yusei and I were both extremely concerned by what was happening. After a few, tense moments, Akiza came riding out of the dust fine. I released a relieving breath that I didn't know I was holding.

Yusei grabbed my hand without the others noticing and I turned to meet his eyes. He whispered in Angelic, still careful that the others didn't hear, _"She's fine. Don't worry."_

" _Y-Yeah,"_ I agreed.

We turned back to the duel as Akiza caught up, much to Trudge's surprise. "Splendid Rose, attack Trudge directly and end this!" she ordered. The attack hit making Akiza the winner.

The duel ended and they both stopped. "Nicely done, Akiza," Trudge praised.

We all ran down to meet her as Trudge handed her the license. She turned to us. Yusei offered a hand which Akiza took with Yusei said, "Welcome to the world of turbo dueling."

"Thanks," she responded. I gave her a smile before we all left the Academy.


	10. The Old Friends

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 10: The Old Friends

Era's POV

Yusei was just finishing his day of training and had done exceptionally well with the Demon Exorcist spell.

"Well done, Yusei," I praised. "Six successful spells in a row. You're doing good. But it'll still take more than that to become an official Combat Angel."

"I know," he responded. His voice had something down casted in it that said something was wrong and I didn't like it.

"What's wrong, Yusei?" I asked.

"What's it like to watch your friends get old and die?" he suddenly asked.

I looked down. "It hurts. You wish you could die the same time as them and not live hundreds of years longer if a demon doesn't kill you first. It's why I felt bad about my influence of you becoming an angel," I explained.

"Era, for the final time, that's not your fault in the slightest. I chose to become an angel because I wanted to. And I don't regret that choice," Yusei told me sternly, bringing my body against his.

"I… I know," I agreed looking down. Yusei leaned down and gave me a soft kiss. When he pulled back after a couple minutes, I asked, "Is there anything else bothering you?"

"It's more wondering rather than bothering," he replied. "If you took a year and a half to finish your class and you started classes right after you became an angel, did you ever see your sister or friends after your death? You couldn't have avoided them that well."

I sighed. "I knew this was going to come up at some point," I said. I gave him a small nod. "It was a year after graduating that it happened."

 **-Flashback-**

I stood outside a house where three people had a large amount of grief in their soul. I was in my human form and just watched them. They were talking.

The girl and one of the guys seemed sadder than the other one. But it wasn't by much. I recognized them, too.

"I'm going to go outside," the saddest man, whom I recognized as Nate, said. He slowly got up and walked out, but was quickly followed by my sister, Maya, who was then followed by the last guy, Zack. They hadn't noticed me when they entered the chilly, autumn night air.

"I still can't believe she's gone," Maya stated.

"And it's my fault," Nate said. "If I saw that truck… I just know it's my fault."

"That's not true," I spoke up. They looked at me shocked.

"J-Jayla?" Maya responded.

"It wasn't your fault, Nate. The truck came out of nowhere," I told him ignoring Maya's response.

Maya slowly walked towards me. She reached out a hand and gently touched my cheek. She grew tears. "Y-You're real," Maya responded hugging me tight. "You're alive. How?"

Nate ran over and grabbed me. "H-How are you alive?" he asked. "I saw your heart monitor go flat."

"I'm… not entirely alive," I told them in a whisper.

"W-What do you mean?" Zack asked. "We can touch you."

"After I died, I was reborn as an angel. I recently graduated Angel Academy to come back here and protect the Earth," I explained. "I'm not alive, but I'm not dead at the same time."

"So you're like a ghost?" Nate asked.

"The only ghosts are lost spirits and there aren't many of those in the world. I'm a reanimated version of Jayla Sito named Era. In fact, most of my life as a human is a blank slate," I explained. "I was chosen to protect the Earth from the angel's dark counterparts, demons."

"Demons?" Maya repeated. "How longer will you have to do this?"

"Forever, or until a demon kills me, at least," I answered.

"N-No way…" Nate muttered. "D-Do you have a different form now?"

I have a small nod. "It's a bright light when I transform so I would cover your eyes," I told them and began to change making them follow my suggestion. When I finished, they looked at me shocked. "This… is my true form now."

Maya was the first to speak, "Jayla… I- I know Jayla. She wouldn't wear anything like that. Y-You can't be my sister."

Zack stepped in, "Maya, maybe it's a uniform she has to wear like we do for school."

"You know Jayla. She wouldn't go near an outfit like that," Maya retorted.

"But… Jayla, is that really you?" Nate asked.

"Yes, Nate. The reason I wear this is because it is the normal angel outfit assigned by our lord," I explained. "I do not wish to insult his highness."

"I-I can't believe you are truly Jayla Sito," Nate slowly said.

"Angels don't like," I told him. "I have no reason to lie to you. I have no reason to like to any of you. Why do you not believe me?"

"Jayla barely listened to anyone she didn't know. I don't think she would even kneel to some ruler," Maya retorted. "Why do you think it's funny to pretend to be my dead sister?!"

"I… I'm not pretending," I replied. "I promise. Maya, I don't break my promises, right?"

"You're not my sister," Maya refused to believe. Those words hit my heart harder than a demon's dark pulse waves.

"Maya…" I muttered. I looked at Nate for help but he just looked away. Zack followed. "If you don't want to believe the truth, I guess I can understand. Just… don't expect to see me again." I looked down. "This is goodbye. I had thought you would've still been my family. Even after my death." They looked at me shocked. "But… I guess not." I then took off, leaving their calls behind me.

 **-Flashback Ended-**

Yusei was watching me concerned after I finished explaining my tale. My face was down the whole time. I felt a tear slip down my face and Yusei used his hand to bring my face to his and wiped off the tear. He brought me closer into his to comfort me.

"I'm sorry, Era," he whispered. "If you didn't want to say anything, you didn't have to."

"I've been keeping it locked up for just less ninety-eight years. I guess I needed to tell someone," I replied.

Yusei kissed me gently. When he pulled back, he said, "You won't ever lose me. I promise."

"And you won't ever lose me," I told him as I set my head on his chest and listed to his rapid heartbeat.

"Good," he whispered in my ear. "And I'll make sure of it." I gave a small nod. "We better get going. We need to get back to the engine."

"Right," I agreed.

"Just wondering here, are we ever going to tell the others about us?" he asked with a grin.

I giggled a bit. "Maybe when we're truly ready. Like sometime after you finish training," I told him. He nodded, keeping his grin.

We got ready to take off. Yusei hadn't brought his duel runner and had flown with me there. So he had to fly with me back. We took to the air and disappeared into the clouds until we reached the area above the garage.

 **I'm sorry if this was a little boring to some. But this is honestly one of the saddest and hurt-genre-based chapters I have ever written, which is saying something considering how much I've written in my lifetime.**

 **Anyway, see you in the next chapter!**

 **-bricann**


	11. The Thieves

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 11: The Thieves

Era's POV

Ever since the announcement of the World Racing Grand Prix, crimes involving duel runners have been rising throughout the city. The demonic energy had also increased and Yusei and I were beginning to have to deal with other demons. I was impressed when Yusei was able to destroy a demon on his own.

At the moment, Yusei and I flew around the night waiting for any demons to come by. May had finished her training at the Angel Academy and had decided to join us as the demons continued to pop up.

We were flying around for a while and were talking here and there while focusing on demon hunting at the same time. May was getting to know Yusei well and was definitely happy his highness made him an angel.

Suddenly, the guardian alert locket on May began to glow and she sighed. "I hate being a guardian," she muttered.

"It's alright, May," I told her. "You know you could've backed out at any time."

"But who else is strong enough besides you to step up to the job?" she asked. "I gotta go. I'll see you later, Era, Yusei!" She then flew off and disappeared to the Afterlife.

"Is being a guardian really that boring?" Yusei asked.

"It's a bit responsibility, Yusei. Remember, they decide whether a person is worthy of being nominated to be an angel and be mentioned as a suggestion to our lord," I told him. "I don't think it can be very fun."

"True," he agreed.

We looked down to see Jack chasing a group who had some stolen duel runners. One, who was a leader, pulled a gun out and went to shoot at Jack. I shot down ignoring Yusei's warnings as one of the other gang members tried to go in front of Jack and take the bullets.

My angel side hit its peak and I pushed the gang member out of the way before the bullets hit him. But in the process, steaming, burning pain went through my body as the bullets hit me. I noticed something about the being inside the leader at the same time as the gang member who tried to save Jack roll into a crash while everything went black for me.

Third Person POV

Yusei was immediately down at Era's side as Jack stopped by the down and working angels. Yusei looked at the bullet wounds which had hit her stomach. He immediately felt for a pulse and was relieved when he found one. Yusei glanced at the fleeing gang.

"She alive, Yusei?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "I've mastered all the Combat Angel healing spells, but none of them can heal bullet wounds like this." He looked at the crashed gang member followed by Jack.

"I'll be right back," Jack stated. 'Take care of Era." He went over to the down member and began to question him but he wouldn't wake up.

Yusei watched from the side but mainly focused on Era. When he noticed Trudge coming up, he immediately changed to his human self. Era was cringing in pain and Yusei was trying to subtly use a pain relief spell to help her.

' _Come on, Era. Don't make me nearly lose you like last time,'_ he thought thinking of his duel with Roman.

 **-Flashback-**

Another sound of a crashing occurred but this time they all looked up as Era was thrown through the webbed roof and into the wall of the crater.

"Era!" Yusei called as brought herself out of a hole the impact had made. Equette came in and hovered above Yusei. He then reached a long arm out and grabbed Era before she could move. Era just glared as Equette brought her face to face. "Era!"

"You ready to quit fighting and let me finish you?" Equette asked.

"No," Era replied defiantly. "You just finished yourself." Yusei remember what she had said during the Fortune Cup and immediately got worried. A glow began to surround the two and she began to chant a spell, "Maani Utei Bassi Nu Tun Enla Masa Nami Tunai Eta Monu Sune!"

The light engulfed the room and blinded everyone. But they couldn't ignore the sound of Equette screaming in pain. Once the light disappeared, Era fell down unconscious but everyone could see the particles drifting out of her. Yusei caught her as she was above him.

"Era," he called hoping she would wake up. She looked at him weakly as she became slightly transparent. "Era, it isn't your time yet."

"Yusei, don't give up," Era whispered. "You have a lot of light in your heart. Don't let any darkness grasp it and work to help others in my place, okay?"

"Era, don't leave me yet," Yusei responded holding her close.

"This is goodbye, Yusei," she told him.

"Era, please!" Luna called sadly. "You've been through too much. We can't lose you now!"

"It'll… be alright," Era whispered.

"Era… please," Yusei begged. "I care about you too much to let you go."

"Good… bye," Era whispered before her form vanished into light particles.

"Era…" Yusei muttered holding back tears that wanted to fall so badly.

 **-Flashback Ended-**

' _Era… don't do that again,'_ Yusei thought cradling her pain-filled face in his hand. Era's body and clothes soon switched to her human form.

Trudge rode up to Jack and said, "I know that man. Jack, hold off. We need to get him to the hospital."

"Era needs it more than this guy," Jack said and Trudge looked over where Jack was looking.

Trudge ran over. "What happened?" he asked noticing the bullet wounds.

"When Jack was about to be shot, that man over there was about to take the hit. Era pushed the guy out of the way and took the bullets herself," Yusei explained.

"I'll call an ambulance," Trudge said and immediately made the call. The ambulance was quick to arrive.

Jack stepped by Yusei while the two were loaded. "You ride with Era. I'll get your runner to the hospital so the others don't get any questions," he told him.

"Thanks, Jack," Yusei responded.

"No problem. Era's our main priority right now. And after saving my life, I should at least pay her back by helping her keep the Crimson Dragon's wish," Jack told him. Yusei nodded. They looked at the ambulance.

"I'd better get going," Yusei said. Jack nodded and the angel ran to Era's side.

Yusei's POV

At the hospital, Era was sent into an operation to get the bullets out of her flesh. When she was done, she was put in the hospital next to the man who tried to save Jack. A breather mask was placed on Era's face to keep her breathing stable until they knew for sure that she was alright. I just watched Era worried. Her heart monitor gave its fast beat. I had to explain to the doctors about her naturally fast heartbeat and they recalled the Fortune Cup pretty quickly. After that, the doctors said as long as all goes well, she should be able to get out of the hospital soon.

But even knowing she was okay for the most part, it didn't quell the overwhelming worry in my heart. I knew Era had seen something about the leader, especially since he tried to kill Jack. I saw it too. A demon kept its hold within the leader.

' _But with Era down and May being stuck in the Afterlife, there are no other experienced angels to expel the demon from his body. All of the previous Combat Angels are hurt too badly and still recovering from Izoa or are dead due to Izoa's onslaught. And the new ones are still seriously young and in Angel Academy. And from what I've learned, none of them have even started the Demon Exorcist spell yet,'_ I thought.

I slowly grabbed her hand. "Please wake up," I whispered. _'I need you, Era,'_ I thought.

I sighed and slowly got up. _'I should go see what's going on with Jack, Trudge, and that other guy,'_ I thought.

I went to the other room where Jack was watching the man. I noticed the light in him. Era was right when she said seeing the light and darkness in the person would become easy enough where I didn't even need to try to see it before I noticed it. It had truly become a sixth sense.

The two humans looked at me. "Era doing okay?" Trudge asked.

"Still sleeping," I answered. I looked at the injured man. "So what's the story on this guy?"

"His name's Kaz. He was actually an undercover Sector Security officer investigating the thieves," Trudge explained. "And thanks to Jack's interference, he's now in critical condition."

Jack took a card from Kaz's deck and walked off. But not before I called, "Jack, where're you going?"

"To clean up some loose ends," he answered before walking out completely. I sighed.

"Is he going to try to find those thieves himself?" Trudge asked.

"I think so," I answered. "But I think we should let him do this."

"Why?" Trudge asked.

I knew it for a fact, though Trudge didn't know about my Angelic ability to see Jack's darkness so I said my answer in a way that was less suspicious, "Jack probably feels guilty at this point. After getting Era shot and putting Kaz in critical condition, he probably wants to get avenge the two of them by taking down these thieves. If anything, that should at least release some of that guilt."

"Yeah," Trudge agreed. "Think he'll be alright?"

"We'll find out," I responded. I sighed. "I'm going to go check on Era. Keep an eye on Kaz."

"Alright," Trudge agreed and I walked back to Era's room.

As I entered, I noticed my girlfriend was still asleep but seemed like she was trying to wake up. I quickly returned to her side and gently use my left hand to hold her cheek.

Era's eyes slowly fluttered open much to my relief and she turned her face towards me in my hand.

"Yusei?" she responded. She began to sit up but gripped her stomach. I gently pushed her back down.

"Era, you need to rest. You took a few bullets to the stomach when you were protecting Kaz and Jack," I told her sternly.

"I need to find that leader, though," she responded still sounding a bit weak.

"Era, you're in no condition to exorcise that demon," I retorted.

"Then who will? May's busy and most of the Combat Angels we have now can't do the spell," she responded.

"I will," I decided.

"Yusei, no. You haven't fully mastered the spell. Yeah, you're doing better at it and can probably do the test sooner but you still haven't fully mastered it. Yusei, remember, if you fail it, you'll kill the possessed person and demon at the same time and that'll send him to the Underworld," she retorted. "You can't do it yet."

"Era, I'm the only one who can do it. It'll be a few days before you can function perfectly again," I told her. "I'm not arguing in this one. It'll be fine. You just have to trust me."

"But, Yusei…" Era started but I cut her off.

"Trust me, Era. Please," I said.

"A-Alright," she gave in. "Just… don't mess up."

"I won't, Era," I assured her. "I promise."

"And you can keep that promise?" she asked obviously still a bit doubting and nervous. Though her emotions were hard to tell since she was still a bit weak and in pain from the bullets.

"I can. You taught me well," he told her. I kissed her forehead for a moment before I turned back and looked into her eyes. "Don't worry." I knew my eyes shined over because she relaxed a bit and nodded. She sat up a bit to lean into my chest. I kept my arm wrapped around her.

I just sat there for a while until I heard her breathing become more rhythmic and steady. I looked at her and saw she had fallen asleep again. But unlike before, her face was more at peace, despite the pain from her injuries she was probably in.

I gently laid her back down on the bed without waking her up. _'I need to go find their base and draw the circle,'_ I thought.

I walked out of the room when Jack's voice asked as I turned to leave, "When were you planning on telling everyone that you and Era were a thing?" I turned behind me to see Jack who was leaning against the wall that was bridging the door. I stayed silent. "I could understand the Crimson Dragon telling you to keep you being an angel a secret until you're done training. But what about you having a relationship with Era that close?"

"We didn't want to say anything until we felt everything was calm enough," I replied.

"And when would that be?" Jack pressed.

"Something serious is going on right now, Jack. Other than the Ghost," I answered. "So it wouldn't have been for a while. But we were thinking of also telling you after I was done training."

"What's going on that serious other than the Ghost?" Jack asked.

"There have been a lot of demons coming after Era and I. The reason is because of Brehnam. He was the heir to the King of the Underworld. We met him a couple weeks ago. Brehnam was also attached to Izoa. He said they were locked together in a way that could be similar to marriage, only they can't be separated. And Era killed Izoa and I helped the Crimson Dragon kill the King of the Underworld. But he has it more out for Era," I explained. "With Brehnam now being the leader of the Underworld, Era and I think he gave the creator of the Ghost the Demon Cage."

"Then you two should lay low instead of going full out on this," Jack told me.

"I don't think you truly understand the job of an angel. We have to protect this planet with no rest. Unless we're injured like Era, we don't have a choice. I already had to convince Era to stay put and rest until she's healed," I retorted. "Laying low isn't an option for us. Now I have to get going."

"Where?" Jack asked.

"To finish a job," I answered and walked off.

. . .

I flew around and soon found the base. It was in an old factory and some members were standing guard. I turned myself invisible and walked in.

I activate the future spell and looked around. I immediately saw a period in time where Jack was facing the leader. They were both on the conveyor belt in the back on the room leading two a trash compactor on both ends. I didn't like the situation they would be in but I at least knew the spot where the man, whom I had figured out his name as Syd, would be.

I went onto the conveyor belt and drew the circle silently. I kept an ear and eye out for any demons. When I finished, I stood up and flew out without a sound.


	12. The First Exorcism

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 12: The First Exorcism

Yusei's POV

The next day, Jack ended up in the hospital after some guys attacked him. He was fine for the most part. Just had a minor concussion. We all tried to talk him out of going after the thieves that hurt Era and Kaz.

I didn't want him around when I did the Demon Exorcist spell. As much as I felt I could do the spell, I was nervous I would mess it up. Era had a point when she said I hadn't mastered it completely making it dangerous. _'This would be the same thing as the test. If I can save this man, that'll tell me and Era whether I'm truly ready for the test,'_ I thought.

I turned back to the situation with Jack, when the Signer of the Wings said, "Finding these thieves is something that I have to do myself." We all gave in with that reasoning.

Everyone soon had to leave to go do their own things when Jack asked me, "Do you have any idea where their base is?"

I looked at him. "Found it last night," I answered.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"I don't want you in that danger, Jack," I told him sternly. "There's a demon inside the leader. I don't want you hurt by it."

Jack grabbed me by my shirt's collar and yanked me face to face. "Yusei, you know I need to do this. So tell me right now," he ordered.

"It's at the city docks," I answered. "Be careful and don't get into any serious trouble." I then added mentally, _'Though he will.'_

Jack let go and raced off. I transformed and followed him by air. The guards weren't at the door this time so Jack entered with ease. The thieves looked at him with Syd staring with a grin. I came in through the roof invisible and silently landed on the rafters in the ceiling.

"Hey there. My name's Syd, the leader of this whole thing," he greeted deviously. "Doing okay after the beatings?"

Jack glared. "Security is on their way. You can't escape this time," he told Syd.

"Fine," Syd responded. "But how about we have a duel while we wait for Security to come?"

"Fine by me," Jack agreed.

They took their places on the conveyor belt and I was pleased to see Syd standing in the circle. A couple members of the gang chained Jack and Syd to the conveyor belt.

"I have a special set up for our duel. Each of us are chained to a conveyor belt. And as we lose life points, the conveyor belt moves backwards and when one of us is defeated, we're dropped into a trash compactor," Syd explained.

"Doesn't matter to me," Jack stated and they began to duel with Jack drawing a card. "I summon Mad Archfiend (Attack 1800/ Defense 0) in attack mode. I set a face down and end my turn."

Syd drew his card. "I summon Assault Wheel (Attack 2300/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Assault Wheel, attack Mad Archfiend!" he ordered.

"I activate Mad Archfiend's effect. This switches it to defense position," Jack defended.

The wheel destroyed Mad Archfiend and Syd stated, "You thought switching it to defense mode would be a good idea, didn't you? Well with Assault Wheel's effect, I can still deal damage." Jack's life points dropped to 1700. "But now since Assault Wheel attack, it's attack is reduced to 0 until my next standby phase (Assault Wheel: Attack 0). I then set two cards face down and end my turn."

Jack drew his card. "Since you control monsters while I control none, I can special summon Vice Dragon (Attack 2000/ Defense 2400) in attack mode but its original attack and defense is halved (Vice Dragon: Attack 1000/ Defense 1200)," he declared. "Next I activate Polymerization to fuse Big Piece Golem with Medium Piece Golem in order to fusion summon Multiple Piece Golem (Attack 2600/ Defense 1300). Next I normal summon Archfiend Interceptor (Attack 1400/ Defense 1600) in attack position. With Archfiend Interceptor, whenever you declare an attack with a monster you control, you'll take 500 points of damage. Now Multiple Piece Golem, attack Assault Wheel!"

"I activate Nightmare Wheel! This makes it so Multiple Piece Golem can't attack or change its battle position. And during each of my standby phases, you take 500 points of damage," Syd defended.

' _Be careful, Jack,'_ I thought.

"Well, Vice Dragon, attack Assault Wheel!" Jack ordered.

"I activate Plunder Decoy to take control of your Archfiend Interceptor," Syd fought.

A replay occurred and Vice Dragon attack Assault Wheel. The effect of Archfiend Interceptor activated dropping Jack's life points to 1200. Vice Dragon destroyed Assault Wheel and dropped Syd's life points to 3000.

Syd drew his card to begin his turn. On Syd's standby phase, the effect of Nightmare Wheel activated dropping Jack's life points again to 700. I was tempted to step in but I knew what the demon would do and didn't want to risk it.

"I summon Cannon Wheel (Attack 500/ Defense 700)! I tune Archfiend Interceptor with Cannon Wheel in order to synchro summon Combat Wheel (Attack 2500/ Defense 1200)! When Cannon Wheel is used for a synchro summon, its effect delivers 500 points of damage at you!" Syd declared and Jack's life points dropped to 200. "Combat Wheel, attack Vice Dragon!"

"I activate Nightmare Archfiends! By tributing Vice Dragon, I can special summon three Nightmare Archfiend Tokens (Attack 2000/ Defense 2000) to your side of the field in attack mode," Jack fought.

Syd obviously decided not to attack with that in play. But he did play, "I activate Block Dugout! While Block Dugout is on the field, your monsters can't attack if their combined levels are less than the combined levels of all the monsters I control. I'll end my turn there."

Jack drew his card. "I summon Sinister Sprocket (Attack 400/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Next I tune Multiple Piece Golem with Sinister Sprocket to synchro summon. Rise, Chaos King Archfiend (Attack 2600/ Defense 2600)!" he declared and I rolled by eyes at the name. "And let's not forget, since Multiple Piece Golem has left the field, Nightmare Wheel is destroyed. Also, since Sinister Sprocket was sent to the graveyard for a synchro summon of a dark synchro monster, its effect allows me to destroy Black Dugout! Chaos King Archfiend, attack Combat Wheel!"

"I activate the effect of Combat Wheel! By discarding Urgent Tuning from my hand, I can increase the attack of Combat wheel by half the total attack of every monster I control (Combat Wheel: Attack 5500)!" he defended.

"I activate Chaos King Archfiend's effect. This swaps the attack and defense of every monster you control until the end phase (Combat Wheel: Attack 1200/ Defense 5500)!" Jack fought. Combat Wheel was destroyed and Syd's life points dropped to 1600. And since Syd used the effect of Combat Wheel in the turn it was destroyed, its effect activated, destroying all other monsters he controlled. And since the Nightmare Archfiend Tokens were destroyed, Syd took 800 points of damage for each one destroyed, dropping Syd's life points to 0 and making Jack the winner.

"Jack, get ready to save Syd!" I called as Syd's eyes turned completely black and hatred filled them. I dropped and immobilized Syd before jumping out of the circle.

The conveyor belt stopped for a moment as the demon exclaimed, "An angel?!"

"You're done, demon," I said and began the spell while he growled in anger and tried to move. The circle wouldn't allow it though. "Ey sunni motei wytaku nitua oa mati elna tu nelsa!" I chanted and the black mist flowed out of Syd as the circle glowed.

"You will perish, angel. We will have our revenge!" he called before he vanished into dust.

I went to the down Syd and felt for a pulse. And I was beyond relieved when I found one. "He's alive," I stated. "It'll be a while for he wakes up though."

Jack looked at me a bit shocked. "Deal with the others. I need to go check up on Era," I told him. He gave a small nod and the guys tensed while I flew off.

. . .

I arrived at the hospital in my human form where Era was sitting up. She was holding her stomach a bit and I said, "You shouldn't be sitting up if you're hurting your stomach."

She looked at me shocked. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"Finishing the demon inside Syd," I answered.

"Did you do it successfully?" she asked sounding alert.

I gave her a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, he's free and alive and the demon's dead," I told her and she gave a relieved sigh.

I sat down next to her. "You're stomach doing okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "Just a bit sore."

I turned with Era as the doctor walked in. "Oh, hello. Good to see someone other than Era is here," he said. "She should be free to go. Just make sure she doesn't do anything strenuous for a couple days."

"Alright," I agreed and the doctor walked out.

I helped Era up and she got dressed back into her normal human outfit. We walked out and I saw Jack walk to Kaz's room. Era and I followed him.

Jack returned Kaz's Chaos King Archfiend to him and said, "Thanks for the help."

"I need to thank that girl who saved me as well," Kaz responded. "But we should have a turbo duel together one day."

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"Do you know where that girl is?" Kaz asked.

"I'm right here," Era spoke up and he turned to her.

"Thanks for taking those shots for me," Kaz said. "Are you doing alright?"

"The doctor just said I'm free to go," Era explained.

Kaz grinned. "Good," he responded.

"Let's not do this again though," Era stated with a grin.

We all smirked as Kaz responded, "I can agree with you there. I should probably let you get going. We might see each other later."

"Yeah," Era responded and I nodded. We turned and left with that. We then turned serious again as we reached my duel runner. "It was somewhat peaceful for the longest time. And now demons just keep popping up everyone all of the sudden," she said.

I nodded. "Something big is happening behind all this. Something more than Brehnam just wanting revenge," I said. Era nodded as I sat on my runner. I looked at Era as she sat behind me. "Are you sure, Era?" I asked remembering what she said about her memories.

"I need to get over that fear. Demaya wouldn't want me to stay away from riding a duel runner like this," she replied looking down.

"A-Alright," I agreed. "But if you ever need to get off or anything, let me know and I'll let you off."

"Okay," she agreed.

I took off with that.


	13. The Dark Capture

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 13: The Dark Capture

Third Person POV

Yusei flew around the air while Jack and Crow drove around New Domino. Era had disappeared a couple nights after getting shot. Yusei was beyond worried and was trying to trace Era's location.

" _Any sign of her?"_ Yusei asked over a mental conversation with Jack and Crow.

" _No,"_ Jack asked.

" _I'm wondering where she went off to. If we don't find her soon…"_ Crow trailed off.

" _What's your gut telling you, Yusei?"_ Jack asked.

" _Like she's in trouble,"_ he answered. _"And according to Era, an angel's intuition is rarely, if ever, wrong."_

" _I don't like the sound of that,"_ Jack stated.

" _Why do you keep saying intuition again? Isn't it the same thing as instincts?"_ Crow asked.

" _Because when I first said it while I was training with Era, she just about slapped me in the face and told me that calling our intuition 'instincts' is an insult,"_ Yusei explained. _"Though I still don't understand why it's an insult."_

" _That's interesting to know,"_ Crow stated.

" _That's angel stuff for you, Crow,"_ Jack responded.

" _Let's get back to finding, Era,"_ Yusei responded turning directions.

" _Right,"_ they agreed and went silent again.

Era's POV

I woke up slowly and found myself chained to a pole. _'What… happened?'_ I thought. I yanked at the chains as hard as I could only to whimper at the painful, gouging sensations to my wrists. I looked at the chains and went wide eyed as I thought, _'Demon chains!'_

"Ah, finally awake," came a voice.

I looked as three men walked into the room. One was an average sized man, one looked like a young boy, and one was a tall, larger man. I heard another laugh and looked up at the ceiling beams to see Brehnam sitting on it. _'Oh, great. They're working with him,'_ I thought sarcastically.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" I asked.

"We want your power," the average man answered.

"And once they're done with that, I will have you as mine," Brehnam called.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. He gave a devious grin but didn't reply. "And who are you? Why are you working with a demon?"

"We are the Three Emperors of Yliaster," the larger one answered. "My name is Jakob."

The average one was next, "I am Primo."

And finally the younger looking one, "And I'm Lester."

"Are you willing to hand over your power?" Jakob asked.

"I will never hand over my power. I'll die before doing so," I denied stubbornly.

That's when the dark chains sent negative energy burning through my body. My marks glowed as I thought fearfully, _'Yusei, help me.'_

The fear continued to crawl through my mind as the dark energy weakened me more and more. I couldn't ignore the fear; there was no way for me to. But I made sure to not let it reach my face. I couldn't let Brehnam and these people see my fear.

I shook and trembled as the pain continued and my marks grew brighter. _'Yusei, please help me! Someone!'_ I thought.

Third Person POV

Yusei stopped flying when his mark glowed and burned. He looked at it and felt fear. It was then he knew whose fear it was. He immediately sped up his flying speed, desperately trying to locate his fellow angel.

' _Era, where are you?'_ he thought. His mark burned more and he could feel dark energy. _'Something's going on with Era. I can feel demon's energy feed off from her marks.'_

" _Yusei, is your mark glowing and burning bad too?"_ Crow asked.

" _Yeah,"_ he answered. _"Era's definitely in trouble. And I'm getting dark energy feeding off from it too. Whatever's going on with Era, a demon's involved. We need to find her."_

" _We will, Yusei. Don't worry,"_ Jack reassured.

" _Right,"_ Yusei agreed but his worry was deep and he knew the only way to calm his worry was to get Era safe.

Yusei came over an abandoned building and heard a crackling sound from inside. He could also feel a large amount of dark energy from a room inside. His mark grew brighter. _'Era's in there,'_ he thought and flew towards it.

He used a phase through spell at the same time as an invisibility spell. As soon as he entered the building, he silently landed on the beams. Yusei noticed Brehnam was watching from one of the beams across from him with a depraved grin and below them were three men watching Era.

Yusei saw dark chains attached to Era's wrists. He immediately used a spell to send a light wave at the three people hovering over the hurt Era sending them flying back. The spell also his the chains destroying them.

Era's arms landed to her sides and she shook and panted as she tried to regain her strength.

Brehnam was looking around for the source of the blast while Yusei darted down to get to Era. As he landed, he released the invisibility spell and reached to grab Era. Just as he was about to grab her, demon whip wrapped around Era's body and yanked her to Brehnam.

Yusei flew up to eye level with the demon. "Let her go!" he ordered.

Era opened her eyes, still cringing in pain from the whip and Brehnam's dark hold. She looked at Brehnam and Yusei could see the bit of fear in her eyes.

"I think I'll take her. It's the sweetest revenge I could possibly get for the both of you. She's mine now," Brehnam responded with a malicious smile.

"Era doesn't belong to anyone," Yusei retorted and shot a blast at Brehnam.

The demon used his free arm and took the assault. He yanked his arm back at it and looked at his arm. All up to his elbow was gone.

"You may be strong, Yusei. But you are not strong enough to stop me," Brehnam stated. He nibbled on Era's neck and Yusei shot a stronger blast making Brehnam stop and dodge the assault.

"Y-Yusei! Use the spell!" Era ordered.

"Era, the feedback could kill you too," Yusei retorted.

" _Remember what I taught you about light and dark with an angel. If you put enough power into the spell, it could overrun Brehnam's power and strengthen me,"_ Era told him in Angelic so Brehnam couldn't understand. _"Just do it!"_

" _A-Alright,"_ Yusei agreed. He took a deep breath. A golden, glowing whip formed in his hand and Yusei flung it until it wrapped around Era. "Baee no teio vica behote ahm frahm bey toh!" he chanted and the spell grew brighter.

"W-What's this?!" Brehnam exclaimed as the dark whip began to disappear. A glow wrapped around Era making Brehnam let go.

Yusei yanked the whip and Era fell to the student's hold. Era began to fall a bit weak still but Yusei caught her and held her tight against him.

"You don't know the power an angel holds, Brehnam," Yusei told the demon. He looked at the staring people below. "None of you do. Keep that in mind the next time you want to face one."

He then hurried and carried Era out as fast as he could. But not before he heart the average sized looking man call to him, "Don't think this is over, Yusei Fudo!"

He was quickly followed by Brehnam, "Yes, this is far from over!"

Yusei looked at Era who seemed severely weak. He could understand since he was able to feel the dark energy burning her through his mark. And after Brehnam holding her like that, he could understand why she was this frail. She was still steaming from everything.

Yusei called Jack and Crow, _"Guys, I've got Era. And she's seriously hurt."_

" _What happened?"_ Jack asked.

" _I'll explain at the garage. Meet me there,"_ Yusei said.

" _Right,"_ Jack agreed.

" _See ya there,"_ Crow followed and they cut off the conversation.

Yusei was quick to arrive at the garage and helped Era to the couch where he had her lean against him. He knew Crow would be able to figure out they were together. But at the moment, Yusei didn't care. He just wanted to help Era. Yusei used a healing spell to help her with her injuries and Era leaned further into his hold.

Jack and Crow walked into not too long after. Crow immediately asked about the position they were in and Yusei gave a small explanation while trying to help Era.

"Now what happened, Era?" Yusei asked her. "How did you get caught?"

"I was flying around making sure demons weren't in the area. I ended up getting cornered by two and then something pricked my neck and I was knocked out," she explained still sounding a bit weak. "When I came to, I was locked to a pole with demon chains and these three men showed up with Brehnam sitting."

"Do you know who these men were?" Jack asked.

"They called themselves the Three Emperors of Yliaster," she answered. "The biggest one, and seemingly the leader, was named Jakob. There was an average sized one named Primo. And then a more younger, childish looking one named Lester. They were working with him. After that, they said they wanted my power. And when Brehnam said they had it, he was going to make me his."

"Do I want to know what he meant by that?" Crow asked.

"No, you don't," Yusei answered immediately. "Keep going Era."

"When I refused to give them the power, they began using the dark chains to shock me and hurt me. After what felt like forever, Yusei came and broke the chains. But then Brehnam grabbed me before Yusei could even touch me," Era explained. "When Yusei confronted Brehnam, that demon said he'll take me since it was the sweetest revenge he could give for the both of us. Yusei was able to get him to let go of me and bring me back. Taking off half of Brehnam's arm in the process." The two humans were shocked by the last part. "Yusei then got me out and brought me here."

"I just wish I could've gotten there sooner," Yusei responded. "Then maybe I could've gotten you out faster."

"You did you're best, Yusei," she responded.

"Era's right," Crow agreed. "You were the first out and looking all over the place."

"Thanks, guys," Yusei responded. He looked at Era who still seemed fairly weak. "Why don't you try to get some rest? It'll help you get your strength back."

"Alright," Era agreed.

Yusei carefully helped her up and brought her to his bed. She had been staying with them when she needed to sleep after scouting for demons. She usually took the couch but Yusei and the guys were going to be working on the engine. And he wanted her to sleep as best as possible to help her heal.

Yusei lied her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. She looked at him and he carefully stroked a clump of hair behind her ear.

"Get some rest," he told her in a whisper. She looked at him a bit. "I'll stay here until you fall asleep, okay?" Era nodded and slowly closed her eyes.

Yusei just watched her for a while. But it wasn't long before she was asleep. He gently held her cheek for a moment without waking her up before getting up and walking back out to the guys.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Crow asked.

"Knowing Era, yeah," he answered. "If she could survive the self-destruct spell when she faced Equette, she can survive this. She's obviously just seriously weakened from all that dark energy being thrown at her."

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"Anyway, let's get back to the engine. I'll check on Era later," Yusei suggested and they agreed before returning to the engine.

But he was still worried beyond belief, even with the knowledge that Era would be fine. What he was mostly worried about was Brehnam and what he was planning with Era. _'I promise, Era. I won't let Brehnam get to you,'_ he thought.


	14. The Duel Boards- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 14: The Duel Boards- Part 1

Era's POV

It was a couple weeks after my capture and I was doing better. I had regained my strength and was back to training Yusei.

But ever since the incident with Brehnam, Yusei had grown steadily more protective of me. But I could understand why, after what Brehnam was saying and doing while Yusei got me out.

When I went scouting, Yusei didn't let me go alone or leave his side. The demons were becoming more ruthless at us. I had suspected it was because Yusei took off their new king's arm. But that only worried me about Yusei's safety. At this point, I was also getting a bit protective of Yusei with the thought of Yusei becoming a main target for Brehnam now. I knew Yusei was getting annoyed by the fact, just as much as I was by his own protectiveness of me.

At the moment, Yusei was dueling Akiza. I was watching from the sidelines with Leo and Luna.

"I activate Junk Archer's effect!" Yusei played. "This removes your Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from play until the end phase." Her monster disappeared from the field when the archer's arrow hit the plant. "Now Junk Archer, attack Akiza directly!" Junk Archer shot another arrow, hitting a part of Akiza's runner as her life points fell to 1700. Akiza started to lose balance on her duel runner. "Easy, Akiza. Don't try to control it by force. Put more weight into it," Yusei told her. Akiza followed the instructions and regained her grip and balance. As the two turbo duelists passed, Leo and Luna waved to Akiza.

"Akiza's really gotta the hang of turbo dueling, huh?" Luna commented.

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "I want to turbo duel too!"

"You turbo dueling?" Luna responded before laughing. "I won't say it."

"You don't have to laugh so much," Leo told her embarrassed a bit.

"Don't worry, Leo. If you keep your mind to it, you'll become a turbo duelist," I told the boy. "When I was watching Yusei in the Satellite, it took a lot of determination to become a turbo duelist. And look how far he's come. So just keep your determination to turbo duel up."

Leo smiled. "Okay!" he agreed.

" _Era, do you really think he'll be able to?"_ Luna asked me mentally.

" _Yeah. I know he has a hard time at Duel Academy. When he dueled Haley, what won him his duel was that he believed in his deck and in himself. So if he ever seems to be struggling, remind him to believe in himself for me, okay?"_ I replied.

" _Right,"_ she agreed. She looked down a bit.

" _Something wrong, Luna?"_ I asked.

" _I'm worried about you. After those Brehnam, Jakob, Primo, and Lester people tried to hurt you…"_ she trailed off.

" _I'll be fine, Luna. I promise. They won't kill me as easily as that,"_ I told her. Jack and Crow had told the twins and Akiza about my encounter with the four, but they stayed more vague about it. Not mentioning what Brehnam had said to me and Yusei about me being his.

" _Alright,"_ she agreed with a nod. I gave her a comforting smile which she returned.

Third Person POV

Meanwhile, Lester, Primo, and Jakob were sitting on their thrones watching Yusei and Akiza's duel.

"This is lame. I had thought the circuits would start up since it's a duel between two Signers. Not including Yusei's an angel," Lester said.

"Not enough power, it seems," Jakob responded. "Still, we mustn't be impatient. It will all start with the World Racing Grand Prix. Only once all of the circuits are completed by the WRGP, will the great power we desire, the power enveloping this world will be unleashed."

"Will things really go that smoothly?" Primo asked. Jakob looked at him. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about the Crimson Dragon's existence. Goodwin's plan failed because Era and the Crimson Dragon. As long as the Signers are around, I can't see our plans proceeding as scheduled."

"What's your point?" Lester asked.

Primo pointed at Yusei. "I will defeat him and steal Stardust Dragon. If we just steal Stardust Dragon, the Crimson Dragon can't muddle up our plans," he replied.

"How do you suppose to do that? You couldn't beat Yusei before," Lester responded. He laughed silently.

"You make me laugh," Brehnam said before Primo could retort, walking in boldly. His lost arm still gone. "Even if you took Stardust away, it wouldn't stop the dragon from appearing. Only the destruction of the Guardian Angel of Light could do so. She is the holder of his power and heart. I'll be the one to take her as mine. It will be sweet revenge at both of Era and Yusei."

"I still don't see what's so special about that girl to you," Lester responded sounding bored.

"She is the strongest angel is existence. Added to the fact that I wish to make her suffer for taking Izoa from me. And by taking her away, Yusei will suffer for destroying my king," Brehnam explained. "It is all revenge. Besides, if I can take her, the Crimson Dragon will not be able to get into your way."

"You're…" Primo began but Lester cut him off.

"It's here!" the smallest emperor exclaimed. "It's my tablet! I've been waiting for you! I knew Primo wouldn't be able to do this on his own!" Lester silently laughed sinisterly while the other three didn't make any other comments.

Era's POV

I helped Yusei with the engine in the garage with everyone watching.

"Hey, did you hear about the meteorite?" Crow asked. We looked at him.

"Meteorite?" Yusei repeated.

"Everyone's talking about the meteorite that hit the outskirts of New Domino. By what I've heard, it's raising a big stink."

"So that rumbling a while ago was a meteorite?" Leo responded.

"The Ghost appeared right after a meteorite crashed around the last time," Yusei commented.

"Yeah," Crow agreed.

"Is the same thing going to happen this time too?" Akiza asked.

"I'm not sure. But it seems like some king of warning," I responded.

"Yeah," Yusei agreed.

"Why don't we go check it out?" Crow suggested which everyone agreed to.

Yusei convinced me to ride with him in case other people were around. And Yusei was right as a horde of people were gathered around the area.

Crow walked up to one of them and asked, "What's going on? We want to see the meteor."

"Sorry, dude. Security's got the place locked up and anything passed this point is off-limits," the man explained.

We walked over and Leo said, "We're too late."

"Yusei," Akiza called.

"Yeah," Yusei agreed. "We're too late for anything now." He then thought, _'I have a bad feeling about this.'_

I noticed his uneasiness and I knew he saw mine because he subtly squeezed my hand in reassurance. I nodded to him and we left the area.

. . .

It was getting near to our night shift and Yusei and I flew to the top of the Infinity Tower. Despite Brehnam's appearance, it was still the best place to get a fix on any demonic energy.

"What did you get from the meteor site?" I asked him after a few minutes of silence.

"A lot of residual dark energy. Whatever that meteor is, it had something dark within it," Yusei answered.

I nodded. "I don't like it. Something doesn't feel right," I commented.

Yusei nodded. "I know. Something's going to happen soon," he responded. "And it'll be something bad."

"Your intuition telling you that?" I asked.

"Yeah. What about you?" he replied. I nodded. "By the way, what's so bad about calling intuition 'instincts'?"

"'Instincts' is better useful for an animal. 'Instincts' is meant to be automatic reaction to a improper impulse, which is insulting to anyone. Intuition is based on a natural feeling of something that is more likely to be correct than an impulsive reaction for instincts. Understand?" I explained sternly.

"I get it. Jack and Crow were just asking about it," he answered.

"Good," I responded.

A demon flew by us and we nodded at each other before taking off.

Third Person POV

The next morning, Ms. Barttlet walked into her classroom at the Duel Academy and was greeted by her students.

"Good morning. Today, I'll be introducing a new friend to everyone. Come on in." A young boy walked in with long brown hair. "He just transferred here."

"Hi, my name is Lester. I'm pleased to meet you," he greeted. Both Leo and Luna froze at the name.

"Uh, is it that same Lester who attacked Era?" Leo whispered.

"I think," Luna agreed. "Maybe if I hang out with him, I can find a way to get some information off of him."

"Uh… but…" Leo began but looked as Lester looked at Luna.

He smiled and whispered to her, "Hi." Luna turned her head a bit of faked a blush.

Leo looked annoyed at the fact. _'What's his deal? Talk about creepy,'_ he thought.

"Everyone is familiar with the Juvenile Grand Prix that takes place at the Duel Academy east branch, right?" Ms. Barttlet continued.

Bob, a friend of the twins, raised his hand and said, "It's a tournament that's said to be tough to even enter."

"Right. And I heard Lester won that tournament," Ms. Barttlet told them.

"Cute _and_ he can duel?" Patty, another friend, responded surprised.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask Lester. I'm sure it will help you in your studies," Ms. Barttlet suggested.

"Yes, ma'am!" the class agreed.

Luna turned to Leo when he said, "Luna, I don't want you going after Lester alone like this. If he hurt Era that bad…"

"I'll be fine, Leo. It's just to see if I can get any information off of him," Luna responded. "Maybe it can help Era."

"Alright," Leo gave in. He looked at Lester as everyone focused on class, _'Him winning, my foot. I can probably finish him in one shot. Even Era hasn't seen him duel.'_

. . .

Leo yelled as Lester commanded Gear Golem the Moving Fortress to attack Morphtronic Videon. Morphtronic Videon was destroyed causing Leo's remaining 600 life points to drop down to zero as he fell to the ground.

"Lester wins!" Ms. Barttlet called.

"Nice combo," Patty said.

"That's a veteran champion for you. Leo and Lester are on two different levels," Bob responded. Leo got annoyed hearing this.

"It's not a big deal," Lester told them.

"Well next up to duel is Bob and Luna," Ms. Barttlet called.

Luna ran passed Lester and told him, "Good job."

"Good luck, Luna," he told her.

Luna stopped and turned to him, blushing slightly. "Thanks," she responded. She then ran off again, thinking, _'If I could only get information off him now.'_

' _Now show me how a real Signer duels,'_ Lester thought.

The duel between Luna and Bob started with Luna going first. "First I summon Sunlight Unicorn and set two faces down. That ends my turn," she played. Bob began his turn while Lester seemed suspicious.

After the duel, Luna was walking and Lester caught up to her. "Lester," she greeted.

"What happened in your duel just now?" he asked confusing her. "With your skills, it shouldn't have taken more than a minute to beat someone like that."

"Wait," she began but Lester cut her off.

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked.

"T-That's… not it. It was truthfully my skills. Now, I'm in a hurry. I have to go," Luna said walking away calling back, "Bye!"

"She's hiding her true identity as a Signer here, is she? I have a plan then," Lester said to himself.

Era's POV

Leo and Luna walked into the garage while me and Yusei worked on the duel runner. We turned.

"Hey, guys," I greeted. "How was Duel Academy?"

"Uh, problem with a new kid," Leo answered.

"Why kind of problem?" Yusei asked.

"Well, um…" Luna muttered. "His name is Lester." The two angels were immediately on alert. "And he looked the exact same as the description Era gave. Except for the outfit."

"Do you two really think it's him?" I asked. They nodded. "You guys should stay clear of him then."

"He's been acting really sweet and kind to me, which is strange," Luna added. "I was going to try to get closer to him. See if I could get any more information about what is going on."

"Luna, I don't like that idea," Yusei responded. "That guy is dangerous. You could get seriously hurt."

"I want to do this, Yusei. I want to help you guys fight these people too," Luna responded.

"Alright," Yusei gave in.

"Just don't do anything reckless. Keep yourself as subtle as possible," I told her. "One mess up and you could be seriously hurt. I don't want that."

"Right," Luna agreed.

"Leo, keep an eye on her whenever she's around him," Yusei told her. "So we know she's safe. And let us know anything you find out."

"Alright," Leo agreed. "Now I think I should get home. See ya!" Leo then left.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I think Leo's a bit angry because he lost to Lester," Luna explained.

"What kind of deck did Lester use?" I asked.

"A machine deck," she answered.

Yusei and I looked at each other. I looked back at Luna. "Alright, thanks. You should better get back to your brother," I told her.

"Right," she agreed.

Luna turned to leave when I said, "And Luna," she looked at me, "be very careful." She nodded and walked out.

" _Do you think it's the same Lester?"_ Yusei asked me in Angelic.

" _Yeah,"_ I answered. _"As much as I wish otherwise."_

" _I'm sure she'll be fine. We just have to trust her,"_ Yusei reassured.

" _I know,"_ I agreed. _"I just have a bad feeling. That's all."_

Yusei turned me to him. _"We'll protect those two if we need to. Alright?"_ he responded. I nodded. _"Good. Now let's get back to the duel runner. I'm still trying to grasp that Accel Synchro."_

" _I've been looking more into that,"_ I told him and he looked at me. _"When you faced that Vizor guy, he seemed completely calm and didn't seem to have any worries at all. Like his mind was completely clear of everything around him. When I looked more into it with Yue, she said something about having a clear mind could help Accel Synchro as Vizor tells you sometime."_

" _A clear mind?"_ Yusei repeated and I nodded. _"I'm still stuck and worried about these Meklord Emperors. And if Brehnam is involved with these monsters... that just makes it worse."_

" _You've always seemed to have a clear head when you're dueling or flying,"_ I told him. _"Why don't we take a quick flight to talk about this? It could help you."_

He grinned. _"Alright,"_ he agreed and we took off.

Third Person POV

The next day, Leo and Luna walked towards Duel Academy while saying, "Good morning" to some of their classmates.

"Luna," called Lester and she turned to face them while Leo looked annoyed. They walked up to him. "Good morning. I've been waiting for you."

"You have?" she responded.

"I wanted to speak to you about something," he replied.

"Me?" Luna asked a bit curious but still faked her liking to the boy.

"Yeah," Lester answered with a nod.

"No, you don't," Leo tried to intervene.

"Do you have time after school?" Lester asked Luna.

"Nope, absolutely not," Leo replied, waving his hands up and trying to stop it.

Lester ignored him and continued, "Would you like to come over to my house? There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Luna asked genuinely curious.

"You'll find out after you come over," Lester replied.

Leo stepped in front of Luna and said, "She can't. We have plans after school, so we'll be busy."

"I am talking to Luna. Would you mind not cutting in?" Lester asked.

"Luna and I are always together. If I say no, then it's no for her as well!" Leo retorted and grabbed Luna hand and walked away with an annoyed look saying, "Let's go."

"Leo, stop pulling," Luna called. She waved to Lester. "Sorry, Lester. My brother's a bit… protective." When they entered the Academy, Leo looked annoyed. "Leo, I'm trying to get close to get information, remember?"

"I know. It's just…" he trailed off.

"I know you're worried but I need to do this. How about when I'm over at Lester's, you can come and watch? Then you can tell Era and the guys what you've found," Luna suggested.

"Alright," Leo agreed.

. . .

Later, Leo and Bob were walking through the hall when Ms. Barttlet stepped in front of Leo. "Leo, do you mind staying after school? I have something I want you to do," she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Leo replied.

"I appreciate it," Ms. Barttlet told him walking passed the two students.

. . .

It was the end of the day and Luna was saying goodbye to Bob and Patty. They then went their separate directions. Luna turned as a honk was heard to face the direction of the noise. A black limousine pulled up to Luna and the third window opened to reveal Lester.

"Hey, Luna," he greeted.

"What're you doing in a limo?" Luna asked.

"My parents are pretty wealthy. You're not with Leo?" Lester replied. "Do you want a ride?"

"I'm not sure," Luna replied.

"We'll go to my house. I did have that something to show you," Leo responded.

"Oh, okay. Since you went through so much trouble," Luna agreed and got into the car with him.

But above them, Era was watching closely. _'That's him alright,'_ she thought.

" _The next time you want to check out what Luna and Leo were talking about, let me tag along,"_ came Yusei's voice, speaking Angelic.

Era looked at him as he flew up to her. _"What're you doing here, Yusei? Don't you have to work on the duel runner?"_ she asked.

" _You're my top priority,"_ he replied.

" _Yusei, I don't need you protecting me all the time,"_ she retorted.

" _You hold the Crimson Dragon's power and heart in you. Since I'm as much of a subject to the Crimson Dragon as you, I have to protect you even more. Besides, I don't want anything to happen to you,"_ he responded.

Era sighed in defeat. _"We'll talk about this later,"_ she responded.

" _I say we let the twins deal with what's happening for now,"_ Yusei responded. Era looked at him shocked. _"Luna won't like it if we try to interfere. Remember, she wants to help you out after all you've done for her. We shouldn't stop her from doing that."_

" _A-Alright,"_ Era agreed.

" _Good,"_ Yusei responded. _"Now why don't we get back to the garage and work on the duel runner engine together."_

Era sighed. _"Sure,"_ she agreed. Yusei nodded and she followed him back.

. . .

Leo waited for Ms. Barttlet for a while. "She sure is taking her time," he muttered. "What could she be doing?" The teacher walked by her classroom and noticed Leo. "Ms. Barttlet!"

"What're you doing staying so late?" she asked. "You shouldn't do that. Hurry and go home." She then walked away.

Leo left alert after that.

. . .

Luna and Lester entered the gates to a large mansion. "Wow, it's amazing, Lester," Luna said. _'How much longer will I have to keep this up? Can't I just get the information and be done?'_ she thought but knew it wasn't the right time. She then added, "It's like a palace. You must be really rich."

"You could say that," Lester responded.

The limousine stopped and a butler greeted Lester, "Welcome back, young master."

"Hello," Lester responded.

"Uh, hi. I'm just visiting," Luna greeted politely. Lester walked by the butler and said, "Can you make some sweets and tea for our guest?"

"Without delay, sir," the butler responded.

Meanwhile Leo headed towards Lester's mansion. _'Lester was after Luna from the very start,'_ he thought. He then remembered Era's ability to talk telepathically, _"Era."_

" _What's up, Leo?"_ she responded. _"Everything alright?"_

" _Lester tricked me into getting Luna alone. He's been after Luna since entering the Academy,"_ Leo informed.

" _Leo, get Luna away from Lester,"_ Era ordered sternly.

" _I'm heading to his mansion now. Luna and I already agreed for me to watch her while she was here to get any information,"_ Leo explained.

" _Alright,"_ Era responded. _"But be extremely careful. If anything happens, call me and I'll be over immediately."_

" _Right,"_ Leo agreed before going silent. He quickly arrived at the mansion and Leo climbed up and over the bars.

He hit behind a tree and quickly moved closer. He started walking behind a bush when he stopped, hearing Luna's voice. Leo looked up and was surprised when he saw Lester jumping in the air with some kind of skate board.

"Amazing, Lester!" Luna praised as Lester continued to show off by jumping and doing tricks. "That's amazing!"

Lester stopped next to her and got off. "Now you try it," he told her.

"I couldn't, not yet," Luna responded nervously.

"I made it to match your body type," Lester told her, surprising the Signer. "It's my little present. Please take it."

Luna took it and said, "Thanks. But why give it to me?"

"I want to duel you on duel board in a serious turbo duel," he replied.

"Turbo duel?" Luna repeated confused.

' _What does Lester mean?'_ Leo wondered still hiding.

"By inserting the cord here and connecting this plug here to the momentum, it can link up with your duel disk," Lester explained as he plugged it in and connecting the wire to Luna's duel disk.

"You're right," Luna responded.

"Let's get started. I'll show you how to ride it," Lester said.

"Right," Luna agreed. _'I have a bad feeling about this,'_ she thought but didn't let it show.

' _I have to tell the guys and Era about this,'_ Luna thought as he left.

Lester continued to encourage Luna as she tried to keep her balance on the duel board. The butler walked over and told Lester, "I have brought some refreshments."

"Thank you," Lester responded. "Where's the other guest?"

"He seems to have left," the butler answered.

"All according to plan," the boy responded while laughing silently in a sinister way. "Sorry about making you doing all this butler stuff, Primo."

"There no need to apologize. I just wanted to see these Signers for myself," the butler, Primo, told him as they looked at Luna who was trying not to fall off the board.

"Is that so?" Lester responded and silently laughed again.

Era's POV

Leo had come over and began to explain what he saw with Lester and Luna.

"A duel board?" Jack repeated as he and Crow were with us.

"Yeah," Leo answered and began to draw it. "It looks like this. And if you connect this wire to both the duel board and duel disk, you can duel with it."

"Now I get it, with that, one could have a simplistic version of a turbo duel," Jack said. "That's one interesting idea."

"What do you think?" Leo asked Yusei and I.

"In theory, it's pretty simple. I could probably build it out of some spare parts," Yusei explained.

"Definitely," I agreed. "Throughout my time and looking into mechanics, it seems easy enough to make."

"I want to beat Lester and protect Luna. Can you two please make a duel board for me?" Leo begged.

"I could," I answered. "Luna would probably want you around when she's using it."

"No debating it, it seems," Yusei gave in.

"Alright!" Leo cheered. "Thanks!"

Yusei and I gave a slight grin at his enthusiasm.

. . .

Lester dropped Luna off at her house. "Thanks, Lester," she told him.

"No problem. I'll be waiting again tomorrow," he responded.

"Can Leo come with me?" Luna asked.

"Leo?" Lester questioned.

Luna nodded. "He's wanted to turbo duel for a while now. I'm sure it'll make him really happy," she told him.

"Of course he's welcome to come," Lester agreed. "Goodbye, Luna."

"Bye Lester," she responded as he left. She then walked into her house. "Leo, I'm home!" No response. "Leo!" She stopped. "Did he go talk to Era and the others about the duel board?"

. . .

Era helped a bit as Yusei screwed a piece on the duel boards, fitting it to Leo's feet. The two angels looked up at Leo who nodded, telling them it fits fine.

After a while, Leo fell asleep while Yusei and Era worked on the programming data for Leo's duel board. Era put in her input and suggestions here and there to make sure it ran smoothly when Leo used it. Even with her mind on the duel board, Era tapped her foot restlessly.

"Are you alright, Era?" Yusei asked her.

"Hm?" she replied.

"You're acting pretty restless," he informed her.

"I'm just nervous about demons tonight," she answered.

"They've been pretty quiet so far," Yusei stated. "Until we sense any, let's try to focus on the duel board so it can be ready for Leo tomorrow."

"Right," Era agreed.

The next morning, the two handed Leo and finished duel board. "Thanks, guys," Leo said.

"Remember, protect Luna the best you can with it," Era told him.

"Right!" Leo agreed and ran out to go practice riding it.

"Worried about Leo?" Yusei asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah," she answered. "Especially after Leo said Lester was after Luna since he entered the Academy."

"If anything happens, we'll head over there," Yusei told her. She looked at him. "And I'm staying close by you."

"And if I fly and they're around?" Era responded.

"Right now, my priority is making sure Leo, Luna, and especially you stay safe," Yusei responded. "If Leo and Luna find out what happened in the process of helping you protecting them, then that happens."

"How did I become your priority all of the sudden?" Era asked turning to the side a bit.

"Remember how our lord called me to see him alone a couple days ago?" Yusei replied. Era turned to him completely again. "And do you remember telling me about how sometimes angels are tasked with protecting one person in particular?" Era nodded but was shocked when she realized where he was going with this. "He wanted me to protect you. Unlike the times you had to protect Yugi Muto and Jaden Yuki and you were told not to tell them, he told me to protect you and I could tell you if I wanted to tell you."

"Why did he want you to protect me so bad?" Era asked.

"He didn't say. After all, he usually stays pretty confidential in reasoning like that," Yusei responded. She looked down. "Besides, I would've protected you like this anyway." Era turned back to him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Because I love you, Era."

"I… love you too, Yusei," she responded looking down a bit. "But I'm supposed to be the one protecting you due to my promise to your father."

"You don't need to do that anymore. Now that I'm an angel, you don't have to worry about that," he told me. "For now, let me do my duty for the Crimson Dragon and as your boyfriend to protect you. And let's do our job as angels to protect Leo and Luna."

"Right," I agreed.

. . .

Meanwhile at a practice lane, Leo rode around on his duel board, trying to keep a good balance. He continued fell but immediately got back up.

"No way am I giving in," Leo stated continuing his attempts. Leo then stopped when he spotted Luna at the end of the lane. "What're you doing here?"

"I asked Yusei and Era and they said you might be here," she answered.

"Are you sure you don't need to go to Lester's house?" he asked.

"That's was just a play, Leo. You know that, remember? And I'm sure I don't need to go. You want to beat Lester, right?" Luna asked and he looked at her. "I want to support you. So let's practice together."

"Yeah," Leo agreed with a smile.

The twins rode round, practicing while having a great time and encouraging each other. Leo looked up above them and saw someone watching them. _'That's not Era,'_ he thought noticing the figure didn't match her shape.

The man got a duel board and headed towards Leo. After landing, the man knocked Leo off his duel board causing Luna to call his name worried.

"I have no need for Leo. I only have a need for you," the man said. "We're going to duel just like this." The man pulled out a rod like duel disk and green energy formed in the front of it. Luna's duel disk activated and her duel board moved on its own. "Follow me!"

Luna reached her hand toward Leo. "Leo!" she called.

"Luna!" he called back and got on his duel board, quickly catching up to the two. "I'll be facing you, Lester."

"Sounds fun," the man responded. "And it's great to know you know who I am. It'll be even better when I eliminate you two."

Lester set Speed World 2 on his duel disk which produced both the speed world and the infinity symbol. Parts of the duel lane came up saying a turbo duel was starting a computer then said, "Submitting duel lane to central, authorization granted."

"Leo, what should we do? I've never been in a turbo duel before," Luna asked her twin.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you," Leo reassured. "We'll win, just like how we beat Demak together!" Luna nodded.

After getting around the corner, all three called, "Duel!"


	15. The Duel Boards- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 15: The Duel Boards- Part 2

Third Person POV

"How about you start of the duel, Luna?" Lester suggested.

"Fine," Luna agreed and drew her card. "I summon Bird of Roses (Attack 1800/ Defense 1500) in attack mode. I end my turn there."

"An attack of 1800?" Lester commented. He drew his card. "I summon Absurd Stealer (Attack 100/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack mode. When Absurd Stealer is successfully summoned, it reduces my opponent's monster's attack power to 0 and make Absurd Stealer's attack power equal to that monster's defense points until the end phase (Absurd Stealer: Attack 1500; Bird of Roses: Attack 0). Absurd Stealer, attack Bird of Roses! Absurd Return!" A blue beam fired from Lester's monster and hit Luna's monster before destroying it. The force from the destruction of her monster was strong enough that it sent Luna flying off the circuit as her life points fell to 2500.

"Luna!" Leo yelled worried.

Regulus, which Leo and Lester couldn't see, caught Luna on his back and put her back on the field. "Thanks, Regulus," she told her friend before holding her chest in pain.

"Did you like that? In this duel, you'll be able to actually fell the life point damage!" Lester stated.

"Huh?" Leo responded surprised while Luna held her chest in pain as her mark glowed.

Era's POV

Yusei and I looked at our marks and I muttered, "Luna… Yusei, we need to go."

"Right," Yusei agreed. We both changed into our angel forms before taking to the skies in hopes of getting to Luna fast.

And we reached her and Leo just in time to see Luna activate a monster's effect that was obviously destroyed, "When Bird of Roses is destroyed by battle, I can special summon two plant type tuner monsters from my deck. So I special summon Netta (Defense 400) **(A/N: I would usually put the attack as well, but I searched for forty-five minutes after writing this to try to find the attack points and I couldn't even find the card for some reason. Sorry)** and Spore (Attack 400/ Defense 800) in defense mode."

"I set three cards face down and end my turn," Lester finished.

"How dare you hurt Luna like that?! You'll be attacking Luna again over my dead body! I'm going to defeat you!" Leo yelled angrily drawing his card.

"Yusei, I don't like this," I told him.

"I know," he responded. "It's just like my duel with the Ghost. The attacks were real."

"I'm going down…" I began but Yusei grabbed my arm making me stop.

"Wait, Era. If we go down there now, we might just get them hurt worse," he told me.

"And if we're making a mistake by staying up here?" I retorted.

"Listen, I want to head down and help them now too. But if we go down now and then later they _really_ need our help, we might not get the right chance to help them better than we could if we showed ourselves," Yusei reasoned. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes," she agreed. "Fine."

We turned back to the duel where Leo began his turn, "I normal summon level three Morphtronic Datatron (Attack 1200/ Defense 600) in attack mode. Attack Absurd Stealer!"

"You fell for it! I activate my face down, Exus Summon! It returns a monsters selected as an attack target to my hand and special summons a monster from my hand with lower attack. Like my Sky Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0)!" Lester called.

"It only has zero attack points though," Leo commented.

"I activate another face down! Torrential Tribute! When a monster is summoned, I can destroyed all monsters on the field," Lester declared obviously shocking Leo and Luna that he was destroying his own monster while mine and Yusei's concern grew. "Now since Sky Core was destroyed by card effect, it destroys all monsters on my field and from my deck, hand, or graveyard, special summon Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity (Attack 0/ Defense 0), Skiel Top (Attack 600/ Defense 0), Skiel Attack (Attack 1000/ Defense 0), Skiel Guard (Attack 200/ Defense 300), and Skiel Carrier (Attack 400/ Defense 0)."

"He summoned five monsters at once!" Leo exclaimed surprised.

"Now Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity's effect kicks in!" Lester stated. Though he didn't explain all the parts came together forming a machine like bird with 2200 attack points and zero defense points.

"What's with the giant robot?" Leo wondered.

Lester laughed maniacally. "Thanks to you, I was able to summon my greatest monster! Now bring it on! I'll show you what true dueling is all about!"

. . .

Meanwhile, Primo and Jakob were watching on their thrones. Brehnam watching on the above with a frustrated glare.

"Lester's getting ahead of himself," Primo remarked.

"It's just the way children are. I remember those days myself," Jakob responded.

"I'm more curious as to where Era and Yusei are hiding," Brehnam stated making them look at him. "Knowing angels, they would've been at the twins' side by now." The two emperors didn't respond but looked back at the screen.

. . .

"Meklord Emperor Skiel…" Leo muttered looking carefully at it. "It's a combination monster. Is this the thing Yusei and Era were talking about? Yusei said something important about it. But what is it?" Yusei was tempted to contact the boy telepathically and tell him but knew that if he did now and he didn't need to show himself later, he would have to tell anyways.

He looked at me. "Can you remind him?" Yusei asked me.

I nodded and looked at Leo. _"Leo, Meklord Emperors can absorb synchro monsters,"_ I told the boy.

" _Are you watching this?"_ he asked.

" _Don't make it known, but yes. And I'm worried for you and your sister's safety. You need to get out of the duel,"_ I replied.

" _I don't think we can at this point,"_ Leo responded sounding a bit nervous.

" _I'll be waiting to protect you two then at a moment's notice,"_ I told him sternly. _"But you need to protect Luna the best you can."_

" _Right!"_ he agreed.

"Era, why are you so protective of Leo and Luna?" Yusei asked me.

I sighed. "My sister is their Great Grandmother," I told him.

"Really?" he responded. I nodded. "They'll be fine, Era. We'll be ready to protect them at any time."

"R-Right," I agreed and we returned to the duel.

Our marks reacted and we felt the pain from them. "I'm not liking this," he stated. I nodded in agreement.

Third Person POV

Jack was driving feeling the pain of his mark also. _'Where in the world is Yusei?'_ he thought.

"Jack!" he heard Crow call. Jack turned to Crow and Akiza as they drove up. They all had tense and worried looks on their faces. "Where's Yusei?"

"I think he's with Era," he answered. "We should see them by Leo and Luna eventually."

Akiza and Crow nodded in acceptance.

. . .

"What're you going to do? Now's your chance to surrender," Lester asked the twins but then laughed sinisterly.

"Who'd surrender to you?" Leo retorted and took a card out of his hand. _'With this, if Lester attacks me directly, I can special summon,'_ he thought. "I set a face down and end my turn."

Lester drew his card. "I activate Trap Stun! Now during this turn, trap cards can't be activated. Meklord Emperor Skiel, attack Leo directly!" he ordered. The machine turned to Leo and lifted up its gun and fired a red ball of energy. It hit Leo making him scream from the pain as his life points dropped to 1800.

"Leo!" Luna called while Era struggled to fight to urge to go down and help him. But she knew Yusei was right. Go down now and they really got hurt and there would be no way to save them easier. Leo rode out of the smoke have a few visible wounds but still okay. Luna gave a relieved smile. "He's safe."

"How'd you like that direct attack from Machine Emperor Skiel?" Lester asked. "I'm going to rough you up even more next time." He laughed. "I set one card face down and end my turn."

"You won't be hurting Leo anymore!" Luna stated drawing her card. "I summon Sunlight Unicorn (Attack 1800/ Defense 1000) in attack mode. Next I activate Spore's effect that's in my graveyard. By removing Nettles from my graveyard, I can special summon Spore from my graveyard. And then Spore's level increases to the level equal of the removed cards (Spore: Level 3). Now I tune level three Spore with level four Sunlight Unicorn!" As the monsters flew into the air, Luna chanted, "The sacred guardian's light crosses paths now and becomes eternal life! Shine, Ancient Fairy Dragon (Attack 2100/ Defense 3000)!" The dragon appeared in attack mode.

"There it is!" Lester quietly exclaimed.

"With Ancient Fairy Dragon's effect, I can special summon a level four or lower monster from my hand once per turn," Luna continued. "So I special summon Fairy Archer (Attack 1400/ Defense 600) in defense position! Once during each of my turns, Fairy Archer's effect can deal you 400 points of damage to you for each light attributed monster on the field."

"And since she has two light attributed monsters, that's 800 points of direct damage," Leo commented. Fairy Archer formed a bow and aimed it at Lester. It hit him in the back, creating a small explosion as Lester's life points fell to 3200. Lester simply brushed off his arm. "He didn't feel the damage at all?"

"What's going on?" Luna wondered.

Lester turned to them. "I'm not the type to feel such a trifle amount of pain," he said and laughed.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Luna finished.

Meanwhile, Crow, Jack, and Akiza spotted the Meklord Emperor after catching up to the twins.

"It's a giant robot," Crow commented.

"Was that the robot Yusei fought that the Ghost used?" Akiza asked.

"No," Jack asked. "I don't think it's the one. But the mark on its chest is the same. It's in the same league with it."

"How many of those things are out there?" Crow asked. "And where is Yusei?"

"We'll deal with Yusei later," Jack said. "Right now we need to focus on the twins. And it's not looking too good. Ancient Fairy Dragon has been summoned."

Lester began his turn by drawing his card. "I activate Meklord Emperor Skiel's effect! Once per turn, it can absorb my opponent's synchro monster," he declared. The middle of the emperor where the green like was in glowed completely.

"This is what Yusei and Era were talking about!" Leo realized.

"It's synchro prevention," Yusei said to Era in the air.

"Yeah. This Meklord Emperor has it too," she agreed worried.

Green strings came out of the machine and wrapped around Luna's Signer Dragon. Ancient Fairy Dragon struggled to get free.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Luna called worried while Leo had a look of deep concern. Skiel pulled the dragon in and Luna muttered the dragon's name.

"Stop this, Lester! Let Ancient Fairy Dragon go!" Leo ordered.

The bird like machine pulled the dragon completely in shocking everyone visibly. "Oh no…" Era muttered.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon…" Luna said once again. "It's been absorbed."

"We were too late," Crow said on the sidelines.

Lester laughed. "I sure took that Ancient Fairy Dragon," he said.

"I've got to remember more quick," Leo muttered. He turned his attention back to Lester who flew in the air. The holder of the Meklord Emperor jumped behind them and zoomed passed them both. Leo and Lester locked eyes as he did so.

"Lester, enough!" Leo ordered.

Lester looked at Luna through his visor. _'Now I'm going to make you draw the circuit!'_ he thought. "When Meklord Emperor Skiel absorbs your synchro monsters, its attack increases equal to the attack power of the equipped synchro monster (Meklord Emperor Skiel: Attack 4300)!" he declared.

"It's power increased," Leo commented surprised.

"Next I play the Speed Spell- Summon Close! When my speed counters are at four or more, neither of you can special summon during this turn," Lester played.

"Not again," Leo groaned.

"I can see right through your tactics," Lester said. "Meklord Emperor Skiel, attack Leo directly!" The machine turned around and lifted up its gun while powering up a green blast. It fired at Leo when Luna got in front of her twin protectively.

"I activate Twinkle Wall! By taking half the damage of your attack, I can negate the attack!" she defended. Luna's care got right in front of Leo, shielding him from the blast, but parts of the blast hit Luna as she screaming in pain. Leo called her name. She came out of the smoke, in pain and struggling to stay up as her life points go from 2500 to 350. _'I can handle the pain. But if I hadn't been fooled into pretending to trust Lester like this, none of this would've happened,'_ she thought.

Yusei and Era watched in worried silence from above while the others did the same from the sidelines.

Lester looked at Luna and said, "In my mind, it's good that's the way. I set one face down and end my turn."

Leo drew his card. He looked at his hand and thought, _'You won't hurt Luna anymore. I'll protect Luna!'_ He then declared, "I summon Morphtronic Scopen in attack mode (Attack 800/ Defense 1400) in attack mode. While Morphtronic Scopen is in attack mode, once per turn, I can special summon one level four or lower Morphtronic monster from my hand. So I choose to special summon level four Morphtronic Boomboxen (Attack 1200/ Defense 400)! Now I tune level three Morphtronic Scopen with level four Morphtronic Boomboxen!" As Morphtronic Scopen turned into three rings and Morphtronic Boomboxen went through it, Leo chanted, "Docking strength with courage in order to protect world peace. I synchro summon the envoy of love and justice! Power Tool Dragon (Attack 2300/ Defense 2500)!"

"A synchro monster? That's why you're no good!" Lester mocked.

Leo tried to keep calm while this only worried the twins' friends further and made it harder for both Era and Yusei to not go down and help. Power Tool Dragon roared a bit angry.

"What's Leo thinking? Synchro monsters won't do any good against that thing," Jack asked.

"Leo!" Luna called worried.

Leo ignored everyone and continued to duel, "I play the Speed Spell- Summon Speeder! When my speed counters are at four or more, I can special summon a level four or lower monster from my hand. So I summon level one Morphtronic Vacuumen (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in defense mode. When Morphtronic Vacuumen in defense mode, it can equip a monster on my opponent's field to itself."

"I get it. Leo plans on getting Meklord Emperor Skiel off the field," Crow realized on the side, "and fight using Power Tool Dragon."

"So I'm equipping Meklord Emperor Skiel to Morphtronic Vacuumen!" Leo declared. His monsters opened up its vacuum and began to suck Skiel towards it.

"I activate my face down, Convert Ghost! When a monster on my field is selected as an effect's target, I can change the target to a monster in my graveyard," Lester defended.

Leo gasped in surprised as the monster in the opposing player's graveyard come out of Lester's duel disk and into the Morphtronic's vacuum instead.

"It avoided it," Akiza stated shocked. "I'm pretty sure Leo and Luna could use Yusei's presence right about now."

Jack and Crow nodded in agreement. The two looked at each other in realization. "Do you think he's…?" Crow trailed off.

"He might be," Jack replied to the unfinished question.

"What're you guys talking about?" Akiza asked.

Before they could respond, Lester interrupted them by talking to Leo, "Your simple plans just won't work on me."

Luna glared with a look of anger for insulting Leo and her twins glared at Lester for the same reason. "I place a card face down and end my turn," Leo finished. Lester drew his card. "Not so fast, Lester! I activate Power Break! When Power Tool Dragon is on the field, it returns all equipped and absorbed cards back to the deck. And that includes a certain synchro monster you snatched from my sister." This shocked Lester visibly. "And for each card returned, you're deck 500 points of direct damage!" The vacuum on Morphtronic Vacuumen lifted up as Lester's monster left it and returned to Lester's deck while Ancient Fairy Dragon came out of Meklord Emperor Skiel and returned to Luna's deck.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Luna called before it went into her deck.

"And now because Ancient Fairy Dragon's out of your monster, Meklord Emperor Skiel returns to its original 2200 attack points," Leo pointed out. Meanwhile, Lester groaned and looked in pain as he took damage while his life points dropped to 2200. "I warned you to stay away from my sister, Lester, but you wouldn't listen! Well now you see, not only am I going to protect her with all of my might, but I'll also protect the things she holds dear! Don't mess with my sister."

"Leo…" Luna muttered, touched by his words. She then nodded smiling.

"Yikes, remind me to be extra nice to Luna from now on," Jack said.

"Yeah, I've never seen Leo more confident or up to his game," Crow agreed.

"Yeah," Akiza followed.

Up above the duel, Era said, "Leo got Ancient Fairy Dragon back."

"Getting Ancient Fairy Dragon back was his plan all along," Yusei told her with a grin.

"Yeah," Era agreed.

Lester clenched his fist in anger. "Now you've done it! I'm going to pound the snot out of you! You'll regret ever making me mad!" he yelled making the angels worried again. "I activate Speed World 2's effect! By discarding seven speed counters, I can draw one more card." He drew again. "And then I reveal my face down, Sky A3! By sending one monster on the field with Skiel Attack in its name to the graveyard, I can special summon Skiel Attack 3 (Attack 1200/ Defense 0)." Skiel Attack was taken off the field and it was replaced on his monster with the new model. "And now it's attack raises as well (Meklord Emperor Skiel: Attack 2400)!"

"It powered up," Leo commented.

"Next I release Skiel Attack 3 to special summon Skiel Attack 5 (Attack 1400/ Defense 0)!" Lester continued and the gun at the bottom of Meklord Emperor Skiel disappeared as another part appeared and then attached itself, becoming the second new gun while Meklord Emperor Skiel's attack increases to 2600.

"How many times will that thing power up?" Yusei wondered. He turned as Era looked at a wrist band with a locket like charm on the top of her wrist she had on since they met. She opened it and tensed.

"What is that thing?" Yusei asked.

"When you pass the test, Combat Angels are given this communication locket. They can either have it as a necklace or wrist band," she explained. "And Yue just sent me some bad news. Yusei, no matter what happens in the next few seconds, stay up here."

"But…" he began but Era cut him off.

"Yusei, I'm not arguing," she interrupted. Yusei sighed in defeat knowing by her voice that there was no point in arguing back. They looked back at the duel.

"Now Skiel Attack 5's effect activates! Meklord Emperor Skiel, attack Leo directly!" Lester ordered. The bird like machine turned around, as a white gun appeared out of the bottom and powered up a red blast.

Once it powered up, it shot a large, red bead at Leo. It hit him creating a huge explosion, destroying all of Leo's monsters. Leo cried out as he was blown right off the circuit and his life points fell to 0. Luna instantly stopped and screamed her brother's name.

Everyone gasped having seen Leo get blown off. The three on duel runners immediately stopped. As Leo fell to the ground, everyone's mark reacted and glowed. That's when they saw Era dive down to Leo as a blur and grabbed the boy before he hit the ground.

"Era!" Akiza called.

The angel flew over and handed the boy to the three. "He's alright. I'll heal him better when Luna's out of harm's way," she said.

"Where's Yusei?" Crow asked.

"He's right behind me," Era answered before taking off. She got a bit lower than before so if Luna needed it, she could reach the young Signer faster. The others yelled to Luna that Leo was safe. Plus, if she flew back up to Yusei, they would follow her for a moment and see him.

Luna put a hand on her heard and thought, _'But that was that? That feeling I felt from my heart?'_

"Tch, look at him, narrowly escaping death!" Lester said as Luna continued to follow Lester and continue the duel. "I won't let that happen again. I will defeat you and you alone! I play a face down and end my turn."

"Who'd be defeated by the likes of you?! I won't let Leo's will go in vain!" Luna responded angrily. She drew her card. "I summon Regulus (Attack 1700/ Defense 1000) in attack mode. Then I activate my face down, Ancient Sunshine! When Regulus is on the field, by removing Ancient Fairy Dragon in my deck from the game, I can inflict 2100 points of direct damage to you," she declared. Regulus' horn began to glow and turn yellow.

"If this connects, Lester will only have 100 life points left!" Jack stated.

Lester smiled sinisterly, however. "I activate Infinity Force! When a monster with Infinity in its name is on my field and effect damage from my opponent's card occurs, it zeros-out the damage and destroys all the monsters on your field," he defended. Luna gasped as Regulus fired a yellow beam out of its horn. But before the attack hit, Lester's trap got in front of him and protected him. After the card received the attack, it fired white beams at Luna's monsters, destroying them. Lester laughed. "You've run out of options now!" Luna looked at her deck as Lester began his turn by drawing his card. "Meklord Emperor Skiel, attack Luna directly!"

Luna gasped in fear as the gun on the bottom of the Meklord Emperor powered up a red blast. It fired a beam at the girl. Luna covered her arms, preparing for the hit but when it didn't hit she looked to see Era hovering in front of her with a shield blocking the blast. But Era was obviously struggling.

"Era! No, you'll be hurt!" Luna called.

" _Yusei, put up a protective aura spell and wrap yourself around Luna!"_ Era ordered. _"I'll do the same as soon as I let the attack go. But I need you do here first!"_

" _Right!"_ Yusei agreed and darted down to them so fast, the others couldn't see who it was, just that it was an angel. He cast a protective aura and Luna looked as he wrapped his wings around her.

"Yusei!" Luna exclaimed.

"Long story, Luna. We'll explain after this," Yusei responded. Era let go of the blast and immediately followed Yusei's lead and the blast wrapped around them. Luna cried out as the pain hit her heart a bit but Yusei toned down the pain before Era could.

When the blast was done, Luna's life points were gone and they were surrounded by smoke. Era and Yusei let go of Luna and the spell. The three of them came out of the smoke. Luna was wobbling all of the place, barely keeping her balance. She was about to hit some glass when Yusei gently caught her.

"Thanks, Yusei, Era," she told them.

"You don't have to thank us, Luna. It's what angels do," Era told him. The three looked at Lester who didn't look too happy that she survived and left. Luna took off her helmet and thanked her duel monster friends for their support.

"Yusei?!" Akiza called shocked.

They looked at the Jack, Crow, Akiza, and Leo, who had woken up after being saved by Era. Two of the four on the other side were shocked while Jack and Crow looked a bit nervous.

"Long story that I'll explain at the garage," Yusei told her. They nodded in acceptance. "Come on, Luna." She nodded.

"Want a ride, Luna?" Era asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"I can use a spell that'll let me carry you by flight. This way you don't have to ride the duel board back," Era explained. She grinned "Yusei knows the spell himself but I think he can carry the duel board."

"Sure," Luna agreed getting off.

Yusei turned to the others. "Meet us at the garage," he told them and they nodded.

Era activated the spell and Luna floated up a bit with a slight glow. Yusei grabbed the duel board and they started to fly into the air..

Leo muttered, "I wish I could fly."

Yusei and Era heard him and smirked at each other. Yusei activated the spell and Leo was immediately pulled up.

"You could hear me?" Leo questioned.

"Leo, you have a lot to learn about angels," Era told him. Leo smiled and they took off again. "We should probably check out Lester's place first. Do you two know where that is?" They nodded. Era turned to Yusei. "Yusei, tell the others to follow us. We're going to check out Lester's place first." He nodded and went silent before he nodded back at me.

We got closer to our other friends and Leo and Luna directed us there. We stopped at a deserted land.

"There's nothing here, guys," Crow said.

"That's strange," Leo said. "I was sure it was here. There was a big mansion."

"Yeah," Luna agreed.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

Era activated a spell to see the past. Yusei followed. "They aren't lying," Era said. They looked at her. Yusei nodded. "Just as there is a spell to see certain spots of the future, we can also use a spell to see recent past events wherever we are. And right now I'm looking at Luna being taught to ride the duel board by Lester here in front of a large mansion."

"Is your spell faulty?" Crow asked.

"Spells can only fail or make errors if we mess it up," Yusei explained. "And I'm seeing the same thing as Era."

"How about we ask Bob?" Leo suggested as the angels took down their spells.

They agreed and soon found the boy walking on the sidewalk. "Hey, Bob," Leo greeted. "Have you seen Lester anywhere?"

"Lester? Who's that?" Bob asked.

"Huh? You know, Lester? The one who transferred to our school the other day from the east Duel Academy branch?" Leo replied shocked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bob responded before leaving.

"What's going on?" Luna wondered.

"If Lester is the one who kidnapped me and he's really working with Brehnam," Era said making them turn to her, "then that might explain people going completely blank on the matter. When demons like Brehnam are tied with humans who sometimes go undercover, demons have one spell that can make the people they meet forget. We're just lucky it didn't work on Leo and Luna. And everything so far supports it being the Lester that kidnapped me and is working with demons."

"Yusei…" Akiza called turning to him.

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding.

"I don't care who it is. They're going to get crushed, courtesy of Jack Atlas," Jack stated.

' _I need to figure out how to work this Accel Synchro. I have to in order to beat the Meklord Emperors,'_ Yusei thought.

"Let's get to the garage so you can explain everything about Yusei being an angel," Crow suggested. They all nodded in acceptance. The two angels took to the sky while Leo and Luna rode with Crow and Akiza.


	16. The Answers

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 16: The Answers

Era's POV

When we returned to the garage, Yusei and I morphed back into our human forms.

"Did you two know?" Akiza asked Jack and Crow.

"We found out when Yusei first dueled the Ghost," Crow answered. "They weren't even going to tell us then."

"When did you become an angel, Yusei?" Luna asked.

"After I finished the King of the Underworld," he answered. "When I finished it off, the Crimson Dragon met me in between the light and darkness with Era. He told Era to leave for a moment and she did. The Crimson Dragon told me that he didn't want her presence to affect the choice I would make."

"Choice?" Crow questioned. Akiza and the twins looked at the male humans confused. Crow explained their side to the unknowing, "Yusei just told us he became an angel when he defeated the King of the Underworld and that he and Era promised the Crimson Dragon to not tell us until he was done training. That's it."

"What choice did the Crimson Dragon give you?" Jack asked.

"He said he could make me an angel now while I stayed a Signer and Era would teach me everything here. Or he could make Era a human again. But he said Era truly enjoyed being an angel. I didn't want to take Era's life as an angel away from her," Yusei explained. "So I became an angel at the request that he made it so she wouldn't die when he took his power back. After the bridge was built, Era started training me. But he also told us that we shouldn't tell you about me being an angel unless we have to until we were done with my training."

"When were you going to tell us?" Akiza asked.

"Yusei had really moved along quickly. Usually, angels wouldn't even be learning the Demon Exorcist spell in their first six months of being an angel," I explained. "Let alone the fact that Yusei only started training just over four months ago. And he's keeps getting close to fully mastering the spell each day. As soon as he took the Demon Exorcism test and passed, we would've told you."

"But Yusei performed an exorcism when I face Syd," Jack remarked.

I gave Yusei an annoyed face. "With me out of commission and May stuck being a new guardian, there were no other Combat Angels to do the spell. I tried to convince Yusei not to do it but his reasoning was solid and I couldn't convince him not to. Being the stubborn, determined angel his is," I explained. My face returned to a normal, calm expression. "I'm just surprised and relieved Syd survived. Even when an angel in doing good in training, it's usually not likely they would be able to succeed doing the real thing so easily. So the fact Yusei did so well, especially without me around, is beyond me. I was the first angel to pass the test in one shot. Usually Combat Angels have to take the test at least twice."

"Wait, so Yusei performed the spell when he wasn't fully ready?" Crow responded.

"You _do_ know Yusei, right?" I replied with a bored expression. They sighed but nodded in understanding. "If he could do it so easily, he should just need a few more days of practicing so I can be sure he's ready for the test. We'll see what happens from there."

"Is there anything else you want to tell us?" Crow asked. _"Or tell_ them _, anyway?"_ he asked Yusei and I mentally.

I sighed quickly followed by Yusei.We knew what he was talking about. "What else aren't you telling us?" Akiza asked.

"If they won't tell you, I will," Jack stated.

Yusei rolled his eyes. "Era and I are together," he told them.

"You mean dating?" Luna asked with a grin.

"Yeah, pretty much," I answered. "We've been together since the Fortune Cup."

"And you didn't tell us for this long, _why_?" Crow asked.

"Would you really feel so comfortable at first?" I asked him and the bird named man shrugged. "And it can get quite annoying with Yusei's protectiveness." Yusei looked at me with a waiting expression. I sighed and looked away.

"Honestly, I think it's kind of cool you two are together and Yusei became an angel," Akiza responded. We looked at her shocked. "It means Era won't be alone forever. Even after we die."

I looked down for a moment at the last part along with Yusei. But we soon looked back at her. "Thanks, Akiza," I told her. Akiza grinned at me. The others nodded.

"Now how protective of you has he actually been?" Crow asked.

"To the point where it can sometimes be frustrating," I answered looking at Yusei.

"Like you aren't always protective of me like that," he responded sternly. I rolled my eyes. "At least I have a serious reason to be protective of you so much. Probably more serious than your promise to my father."

"Whoa, whoa, promise to his father?" Crow stepped in.

"Remember how I said back when we were heading to face the Dark Signers that I had promised Professor Fudo something before he died?" I asked and they nodded. "Well, right before Zero Reverse, I had promised him that I would protect Yusei."

"Yeah, and the Crimson Dragon made me promise him to protect you," Yusei stated looking at me with warning eyes. It was like he was daring me to fight back that reasoning. "Let's not get into this again."

"Is that why you would come and help us at the orphanage so much when we were younger?" Jack asked. "And why you were watching Yusei while Goodwin was spying on him?"

I nodded. "I made a promise to Yusei's father to make sure he grew up and stayed safe," I explained.

"Well, you can't keep me out of danger now that I'm an angel. I don't think my father would want you to keep hold of that promise anymore," Yusei told me.

"I would like to ask him that first," I retorted. Yusei sighed in defeated.

"Is keeping a promise really that serious for an angel?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Yusei and I answered in unison.

Yusei then added, "But Combat Angels are more accepted to sometimes break their promises. But only if it's absolutely necessary. For instance, Era promised me she wasn't going to try to use that spell that nearly killed her when she faced Equette. And she used it anyway." The last sentence he said with a stern, slightly frustrated tone.

"For the final time, I had no choice, Yusei," I told him with an annoyed tone. I closed my eyes and asked my other friends, "Do you see what I mean about stubborn protectiveness?"

"Yep," Crow answered.

"Maybe you both should lay off on the protectiveness," Jack answered. "That should at least release some of that tension."

"I can see Yusei's better. I had the same job twice in my lifetime," I answered. "But not to an angel."

"Then to who?" Akiza asked.

"Two people. Jaden Yuki, who became like a little brother to me, and Yugi Muto," I answered.

"Wait, you knew the King of Games?!" Leo exclaimed.

"The one and only. Before I met him and his friends, I had refused to make attachments," I told them shocking all of them, including Yusei. "When you truly think about it, an angel can live hundreds of years after their friends and those they made attachments to. That's if a demon doesn't kill them first. I was tasked to protect Yugi as he was special to this world and had a large destiny ahead of him. I had kept my distance from him for the longest time. When Duelist Kingdom started, I was invited to participate along with Yugi. As a result, I joined and kept my distance from him then while getting my own Star Chips. At one point, a man named PaniK attacked a girl named Mai and took her Star Chips. And when I say attacked I don't mean by physical in hand-to-hand combat sort of manner. He challenged Mai to a duel and used pillars of fire to intimidate and scare her. When she lost due to it, I came up and dueled him. When I beat him, he tried to use the fire to burn me alive. Being an angel, the fire did nothing to me. But I didn't unconsciously change into my angel form while the fire was being sent at me and when it dissipated, the others could see. Even then, after I gave Mai's Star Chips back to her, I went on my own. Not wanting to make any serious attachments. Yugi didn't just join the Duelist Kingdom tournament for fun. Maximillion Pegasus forced him to."

"How?" Crow asked.

"He had a magic item from Ancient Egypt called the Millennium Eye," I explained. I brought up a projection of the Seven Millennium Items.

"Hey, that pyramid one looks like the one that Yugi Muto would where all the time," Jack stated.

"That's the Millennium Puzzle. For five thousand years, it stayed as a literal puzzle as no one could put it together. But then Yugi succeeded and the magic of that Millennium Item was infused into him. Along with the spirit of an ancient pharaoh," I explained shocking them. "It bonded with Yugi and during most of Duelist Kingdom and before that, Yugi didn't even know of the Pharaoh despite the fact the spirit would take over his body to duel. Then Maximillion Pegasus came with his Millennium Eye. He wanted Yugi's Millennium Puzzle to try to use the magic and Kaiba Corps' technology to bring back his lost love. But he grew dark. Due to his Millennium Magic, a demon couldn't possess him. But in trying to get Yugi to take part in his tournament, Pegasus stole Solomon Muto's, Yugi's grandfather, soul and trapped it in soul cards. Later in the tournament, he did the same with Mokuba and Seto Kaiba."

"He did?" Akiza asked shocked.

I nodded. "By the end of the tournament, I had to explain to Yugi and his friends about my origins and I started subconsciously accepting attachments. I had rejected it from time to time but as I continued my task and staying by Yugi, I began to find myself becoming best friends with him and his friends. We went through a lot of dangers together. After Yugi's destiny was completed, our lord tasked me with a new person. Jaden Yuki," I explained. I looked at Luna. "He could also see and talk to duel monster spirits. Along with Chazz and Jesse."

"Really?" she responded.

"Yeah. He originally had a close bond with a spirit named Yubel. But she was too protective of him. When he was young and had begun dueling, she would hurt his opponents who either made him lose or upset," I explained shocking him. "When I came and started dueling him, she tried a lot to hurt me. But she couldn't. Eventually, she tried to get me to stay away from him as Jaden was becoming attached to me in a familial bond sort of manner. I explained to her my task and situation and she began to lay off. She stopped hurting people, and those who had refused to duel Jaden because of Yubel came back. But then Jaden began to rely on me more than her and she returned to hurting people. Eventually Jaden sent her into space in hopes of helping her. When she returned, she was far from helped. In fact, the loneliness had made her act almost like a demon.

"In order to save her and the world, Jaden helped soothe her and used Super Polymerization to fuse their two spirits together." They were visibly shocked by my words. "I helped him back to Earth after that. But with Yubel now back to normal and good and protecting Jaden, I was told to let my task go. Afterwards, I told Jaden I had to go. He didn't want it to happen as he had saw me as a big sister to him. But I convinced him that it was for the best and that he would be alright because he had Yubel. I would watch him from time to time in Domino City and as he grew but I kept myself distant. Not wanting to get too emotionally attached.

"After that, I just went around hunting demons and helping people like I normally would. Then it came to Zero Reverse and I promised Yusei's father I would protect Yusei at the same time as doing my angelic duty," I finished. "Promising to protect someone for an angel is something that you can't just ease off or let go. It's a serious commitment that only the one who asked you to do it can let you off. It's why no matter what Yusei says, I'm not breaking the promise I made to his father."

I heard Yusei sigh in defeat and I looked at him. "And I'm not sure if the Crimson Dragon will ever let me go on the promise to protect you," he told me. "And I don't want that either. Especially with Brehnam and those demons coming after us."

"I'm still confused on this Brehnam guy and why he's after you," Leo said. Akiza and Luna nodded.

"Brehnam was the Underworld's Secondary King and the King of the Underworld's heir," Yusei explained. "Izoa was also his only attachment. Angels apparently weren't taught about how demons can make attachments but only with one other person according to Brehnam. But the attachment is like an unbreakable marriage. And Izoa was Brehnam's attachment. With Era killing Izoa and me killing their king, Brehnam has marked us on his number one death list. He's been coming after us. But when Era was kidnapped, he kept talking about making her his for revenge against the two of us. And right now, I'm just worried what'll happen if he gets her."

"He won't get me anytime soon, Yusei," I told her. "You already blew off half of his one arm." The twins and Akiza looked at Yusei shocked.

"I had to in order to get him away from Era," Yusei explained. "He had her locked in a demon whip and was holding her against him. I had to activate a spell just to get her back. Lester, Primo, and Jakob, those three Yliaster leaders we heard about, were watching too."

"So you're saying they're working with it demon?" Jack asked. Yusei and I nodded. "It would make sense. They did have a demon cage."

"And with that in mind, it means this battle will be even more dangerous," I said. "Not just for us, but for everyone. After all, getting Brehnam to side with him due to revenge and revenge alone doesn't add up right."

Yusei nodded. "There's probably something bigger going on. Something we need to figure out," he added.

"We'll find it and protect the world. It's our job as Signers after all," Crow stated. "We did it with the Dark Signers and we can do it again."

"Right," we agreed.

Luna looked at the clock. "Dexter was going to be meeting us at our house at four to discuss dueling strategies," she said. "We have to go." Leo nodded. "See ya and thanks for telling us everything!" she called as she and her brother ran out.

"I have some homework I need to do too," Akiza said. "I should've done it by now but with all that's happened, I'm a bit behind."

"It's alright, Akiza. School's important," I told her. "Even for an angel." She gave me a small smile. _"Good luck with Yusei,"_ she told me mentally.

" _Thanks, I'll need it,"_ I told her and she gave a mental laugh before walking out.

"What did Akiza say to you in your head?" Yusei asked.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," I told him.

"Do you keep things from each other too?" Jack asked.

"Most of the time, no," Yusei answered. "But Era's been getting locked up lately."

"Like you haven't?" I retorted.

"Well, I have to get back to work," Crow stated. "I'll see ya later." He then drove out to get to his job.

"I'll go get some coffee," Jack stated and walked out.

We sighed in defeat and went back to working on the engine. Trying to avoid our thoughts of the danger our friends would now be in.


	17. The Internal Problems

Chapter 17: The Internal Problems

Era's POV

The next morning, I rode behind Yusei as he tested out the new engine. "Want to head to the overlook in the Infinity Tower?" I suggested.

He nodded and turned directions. I gripped on a bit tight at the sudden turn. "Easy, Era," he called back gently grabbing my hands locked around his waist.

I realized how tight I was holding Yusei and immediately said, "S-Sorry."

"It's fine," he told me. "Don't worry about me. Besides, I know you're still trying to get over that fear. So don't worry about gripping onto me like that."

"O-Okay," I agreed and laid my head against his back. We found our way to our favorite spot inside the Infinity Tower.

I slowly got off and allowed my arms to rest on the railing. Yusei came beside me as a gently breeze blew my hair back in a relaxing current. But even so, I was still tense for two reasons. One of which, I was reluctant to tell Yusei.

But I spoke up about the other, "Are the Meklord Emperors still worrying you too?" I asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "After the Ghost and what happened to Leo and Luna…"

"I know," I agreed. We went silent again.

After a few silent minutes, Yusei asked, "What aren't you telling me?" I looked at him confused. He was looking at me with a waiting expression.

"Yusei, I…" I stopped.

"Era, let me help you," he told me. He pushed some hair out of my face saying, "I love you, Era. It's the main reason I became an angel. So I didn't have to lose you and you didn't have to lose me. So let me be there for you and help you."

I sighed and looked down in a sad worried manner. "I'm really getting scared, Yusei. Now that our friends know, they could be in serious danger. And with Brehnam coming after me like he is…" I trailed off.

"It'll be alright, Era," he told me. "I won't let him touch our friends or you. I promise, he won't be able to get you away from me." He brought me into him tight. He whispered into my hair softly, "Not again."

"I… I know," I agreed though I was reluctant. I didn't want him to get hurt.

Obviously noticing my reluctance, he brought my face up to meet him. He made me look straight in his eyes. I relaxed a bit as I saw them shine over. And when he took my lips to his, I couldn't stop myself from giving in to the loving gesture and relaxing further.

When Yusei pulled back, he looked at me carefully. _"I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure you stay safe and stay with me,"_ he whispered in Angelic. _"And have I ever broken a promise that I feel like I could truly keep?"_

" _No,"_ I answered.

" _Then you know I'll keep the promise,"_ he responded. I nodded. I was about to say more when I knew we both heard two duel runners driving up the base of the towers. I slowly pulled back from Yusei. _"They already know about us, Era. It shouldn't matter whether we're in that position or not now."_

" _It's… just a bit awkward to be seen in that sort of position,"_ I responded blushing lightly. I turned back to the oceanic view across from us followed by Yusei.

It was then that we heard two duel runners park behind us. We looked back for a moment to see Jack and Crow walking up. I slowly turned back to the ocean.

"What's up, you guys?" Crow called.

I closed my eyes as another breeze blew through my hair. I didn't like the feeling my intuition was sending me. It was foreboding and worrying.

We stayed silent, so Jack asked, "What's going on with you two?"

"We're just uneasy about all of these," Yusei replied. "And Yliaster is behind all of this. Along with Brehnam."

"Yliaster? I remember Goodwin talking about that group from time to time," Jack responded. "Brehnam I can get, but Yliaster just sounded like a bunch of mystic Junk."

Yusei turned to the two humans. "They're real, Jack. Roman told me about the group that sent him to become a Dark Signer. And then there was Sherry who dueled me. She told us about how Yliaster killed her parents. And remember, Era said the three men who had caught her called themselves the Three Emperors of Yliaster."

"Oh great, so they're royal pains," Jack grumbled. "Are they the ones behind everything?"

"I don't know. But if Brehnam was working for them, I would guess so," Yusei answered.

"What do you think, Era?" Crow asked.

"I'm with, Yusei. Something about them doesn't feel right," I replied not turning to them. "Especially if they're with Brehnam. Then I'm more than worried with that."

"If a demon does get into power in the human world, what's it goal usually?" Crow asked.

"Usually to turn as many people to the Underworld in order to destroy the world and create it in the vision of the first King of the Underworld," I explained. I just kept my eyes on the horizon. If I turned to Yusei, he would notice my worry due to my intuitions. That's the last thing I wanted.

"So you think they're planning on destroying the world?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure if they're working with Yliaster. But I don't doubt that's the final endgame for Brehnam," Yusei answered.

"We'll beat them," Crow assured.

"We'll see…" I muttered worried. I then said louder and clearer, "This will probably be a harder fight than the Dark Signers. After all, you didn't have a demon truly working with the Dark Signers back then. Just tagging along. Here, the demons are joined with Yliaster and that'll make the fight all the harder."

"We'll beat them, Era," Yusei reassured. "Don't worry about that." I gave a slow nod in response.

"Is something else wrong, Era?" Crow asked. I didn't reply.

"Era?" Yusei called. I looked down. "Era, talk to us. You can't keep staying locked up like this."

"I…" I paused and Yusei placed a hand on my shoulder before gently turning me to him. I looked at him and I immediately gave in like I had expected I would. "I just have a bad feeling about something coming up. That's all."

"We'll overcome anything that tries to stop us, Era," Yusei told me. "You know we will."

"Yusei's right. We've done it before and we'll do it again," Crow told me.

"Right," Jack agreed. "Don't worry about any gut feeling. We'll beat whatever's coming at us."

"But what if it only gets worse?" I asked.

"We'll beat it and keep protecting people," Yusei told me. "Can you trust us to do that?"

I gave a slow, nervous nod. "Yes," I agreed.

"It'll be alright," he told me calmly.

"I know," I agreed.

"Let's get back to the garage," Jack suggested.

We nodded in acceptance. Yusei grabbed my hand and brought me back to his runner where I boarded behind him.

"Good to see you've been getting her to get on easier," Jack said as they left.

"It wasn't really me. She's just been wanting to get over her fear," Yusei responded.

"Why has been afraid of duel runners anyway?" Crow asked.

"I'll tell you when we get to the garage," I replied.

"So how did you get the engine finally to work, Yusei?" Crow asked him.

"We worked a bit deeper into the programming and found a couple bugs. Era helped fix them and it started working after that," he explained.

"With that information, it makes me wonder who's better at programming," Jack stated.

"Yusei," I immediately stepped in. "He learned on his own and actually worked to learn it. I just took an extra class at Angel Academy and got help from it."

"You can take extra classes?" Crow asked sounding bored.

I nodded. "Most Combat Angels take at least one to try to fit in with human society," I explained. "And almost everyone takes a duel class when they're home is Earth."

"Are there angels that aren't human?" Jack asked.

Yusei and I nodded. "There are too many different species of other worldly lifeforms to count. And though humans is a main species, there are many others from many different worlds," I explained. "Yusei's met a couple new friends from Darwin 4 and Neptune."

"Neptune has lifeforms on it?" Crow asked. Yusei and I nodded. He groaned. "What other planets are there?"

"I can list most of them off at the garage," I answered. "There are too many to list off right now."

"Like how many?" Jack asked.

"About 197 different planet species total," I answered. "And that's at the present moment now that new and different angels are being chosen."

" _That_ many?" Crow responded.

"Yep," I answered.

"Talk about variety," he responded. I grinned.

We arrived at the garage and I began to explain everything. From Demaya's death and my fear of duel runners to all the different species. By the time I was done and they were finished with questions, it had gotten time for scouting.

"You guys be careful, okay?" Crow told Yusei and I as we were about to leave.

"We will," Yusei responded before we flew out.


	18. The Hold

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 18: The Hold

Era's POV

It had been a week since Yusei and my friends found out about Yusei's current living state and our relationship together. Yusei's skill on the Demon Exorcist spell had never been better and it was only a matter of time before he could take the test.

But ever since the incident with Lester, the demons had mellowed out and were less common. But it only gave Yusei and I cause for concern.

At the moment, Yusei and I were flying around the air on a scouting. Yusei had done significantly better at hunting and killing demons. But something felt wrong as we flew. There was a faint sense of demonic energy. But it was only faint, and demonic energy is _never_ faint for an angel.

"I don't like the energy in the air, Era," Yusei stated.

"I know what you mean," I responded. "The dark feeling is too faint to be normal."

"Think a demon is trying to mask it?" he asked.

"It would make sense," I answered. "But it would be weird. Demon's doing usually cast spells unless they've mastered them fully. Unlike some angels who will use a spell even if they haven't fully mastered it if they really need it. And I'm going to be using you as an example for that." Yusei gave a soft chuckle that had a nervous voice to it.

He soon turned serious again and said, "You know I did that to help you and Syd along with keeping the Afterlife safe."

I sighed. "I know. But it doesn't change the fact that you risked killing Syd and sending him to the Underworld which would _weaken_ the Afterlife," I retorted.

"Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in my position?" he asked looking at me.

I groaned in defeat. "Yes," I grumbled.

"Then don't get mad at me for doing the same thing you would've," Yusei retorted.

"Who said I was…?" I was cut off as a demon darted passed us.

We stopped for a moment before turning to go after it. It looked back at us for a moment before flying in between buildings and Yusei and I tried to keep up. We neared a dead up when the demon darted up the wall.

"Where's it going?" Yusei asked as we followed it close behind.

"That's what I would like to know," I replied sternly. It suddenly stopped on a roof and landed. We stopped across from it. It looked at us with a depraved grin.

"What're you smiling about?" Yusei asked.

I was tense but I couldn't react in time when two sets of arms came from behind me and held my arms back. I turned to see two demons holding me. Yusei turned to help but the demon we were chasing and another grabbed Yusei and held him back and away from me.

I wanted to help him as he was wincing from the dark energy touching him, but I knew he was hiding a lot of his pain. I was also cringing, as well as hiding as much as possible. I pulled at the demons but they refused to let go.

I heard heavy footsteps land behind us and I knew who it was by how Yusei seemed to try to get to me more. I tried to fight with the knowledge of who it was but the demons holding me were refusing to let go.

"Why are you fighting?" came Brehnam's voice as I heard him walk closer to me. "You won't be hurt too much." He began to stroke my wings and I looked at him tense and wincing a bit. He grinned at me with dark energized eyes. "I want you to be alive as long as possible."

"Get away from her!" Yusei ordered pulling and yanking at his holders again. They were obviously beginning to struggle at Yusei's strength.

Brehnam walked over to him with a grin. "Don't worry, Yusei. Your angel will be alright with me. I'll make sure she is treated the best as an angel can be treated in the Underworld," he told my boyfriend.

"You're not getting her," Yusei refused. "Why do you even want her?"

"With my attachment gone, might as well take the one who killed them with me. And since you care about her so much and killed the previous king, it's the best revenge I could think of for you two," Brehnam explained walking back over to me. "She'll be stuck with me once she's in the Underworld."

"She's not going near that place," Yusei denied pulled at his captors. "Leave her alone!"

Brehnam grinned and grabbed my chin to look over my face. I quickly banged my forehead against his nose making him stumble back and grab his hit area. He quickly shook it off though and returned to me. He held my face in place as he neared his face to mine.

"Era!" Yusei called sounding worried.

I quickly head the two other demons grunt in pain and fall making Brehnam turn away from me. I let out a breath that I had been holding in relief. As Brehnam turned, a light blast threw him away from me. I looked at him as he shot the two other demons off of me and saw he was still steaming a bit but seemed fine.

' _He truly is a strong angel,'_ I thought. Yusei grabbed me and held me against him defensively as the demons got back up.

"Do you really think you'll be able to keep Era away from me forever?" Brehnam asked.

"I'll die before letting you have her," Yusei answered sternly and defensively. He glared at Brehnam full strength and the other demons seemed to flinch at his glare. "Get out of here and leave Era alone!"

"Hmm? Don't you want to know why I'm working with those Yliaster idiots?" Brehnam asked shocking me and Yusei at his choice of words. Brehnam grinned. "They plan to destroy the world with the Divine Temple. And due to that, demons have the chance of taking down the world. Just as we've always wanted. So, why not team up with a few idiots who think we're trying to help them achieve a utopian future."

"You're not going to hurt this world," I retorted. "You'll never take it."

"But you two are the only angels right now who are fully capable of fighting demons," Brehnam retorted. "Do you really think two angels can stop Yliaster and demons?"

"We're not just two angels alone," Yusei replied. "We have our friends and other angels on our side. Until you take down the Afterlife, you can't take down this world."

"Oh, my… Did I really just hear that?" Brehnam asked with a laugh. "You should know this by now, Yusei. If the Earth goes, so does the Afterlife." Yusei tensed and glared.

"Just get out of here," I ordered. "You can't do anything more."

Brehnam began to step towards me again but Yusei sent out a light wave sending all the demons back. He slowly and gently pushed me further behind him in a protective manner.

"Tell me, do you really intend to protect her with everything you have? Do you truly care about her that much?" Brehnam asked.

"Yes," Yusei answered bluntly and I could feel how tense he was.

"Then you will see how I felt when I lost Izoa," Brehnam told him. "When I take her away from you!" He then darted away, laughing evilly and insanely. After that, we felt them disappear and the demonic energy we felt left with them.

"Yusei, would you really…?" I trailed off.

"Era, I can honestly tell you that I would give up my life to make sure you stayed safe," he told me gently. I looked into his eyes looking for any sign against those words. But I didn't see any, not even one signal.

I moved closer towards him and lightly touched my lips to his. Yusei pulled me as close as possible and held me tight. With the movements, he brought my face closer to his deepening the kiss. I couldn't stop myself from forgetting everything but Yusei for the moment. When he pulled back, everything returned and I looked up at him and his eyes met mine again.

"Nothing will happen to you, Era," he responded. He tightened his grip on me as he said, "I will never let Brehnam get you. I promise. Do you trust me to keep that promise?"

"I trust you with everything, Yusei," I told him. "You know that. Just… don't make me lose you in the process."

"I won't," he agreed bringing my head against his chest. "You won't lose me." I nodded. "I think the demons are gone for the night. Why don't we head to the garage and get some sleep?"

I slowly nodded. I knew after the situation we were just in, we were both exhausted from the dark energy that had hit us. It was then I realized a demon had never once touched Yusei. That this incident was his first full contact with a demon.

I remembered the first time I was held by the demon. It's like how people say you'll never forget your first love no matter what. With an angel, you'll never forget your first physical contact with a demon no matter what. I felt bad knowing that this was what Yusei was going to remember it as. At least mine didn't involve someone I loved being ready to be forced to a demon.

"Come on," Yusei called and I followed him into the air. When we arrived at the garage, I was about to head to the couch but Yusei kept hold of my hand. "In case the demons come out again, I want you to sleep with me tonight."

I blushed a bit. "O-Okay," I agreed.

I followed him into his room where we lied down. We hadn't bothered to change into our human forms this time. Yusei wrapped his wings around my body protectively making me blush a bit at the sign the maneuver meant which we had learned in class at Angel Academy.

"What're you blushing about?" Yusei asked and I looked at him to see him with a small grin.

"Oh, um…" I trailed off nervously looking to the side a bit. Yusei brought me closer with his arms, giving me a comforting smile. "Just something we learned in Angel Signs Class."

"What did you learn?" Yusei asked.

"Because for the longest time, angels weren't thought to be able to feel, the meaning of the sign of a male angel wrapping his wings around a girl is kind of unknown. But we learned that it shows a deep loving relationship between the two and that it's also a sign of protection the male has for the female," I explained, my blush growing a bit darker.

Yusei looked down a bit with a light blush. But instead of pulling his wings away like I would've expected, he tightened his hold on me with them. I looked at him and saw him staring at me with a small, loving grin.

"I do love you with everything I have, Era. And I want to protect you with everything I have," he told me. "You're my heart and world. If I have to hold you like this to show it to you, I will. Because I love you too much to let you leave me." I returned the grin with a comforted and loving one. I slowly tucked my head against his chest. I felt Yusei kiss the top of my head lightly before we both fell asleep.


	19. The Man with Amnesia

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 19: The Man with Amnesia

Third Person POV

Era sat behind Yusei as he sped up his duel runner. She was beginning to grip a bit tighter but Yusei knew it was looser than what he would've expected. So he was thankful to realize she was starting to get over her fear of riding duel runners.

But even with his mind on that, he was also thinking about the speed of his duel runner, _'This kind of speed is no good! I need a new engine that can surpass the limits no matter what.'_

" _Yusei, remember what I told you that Yue and I figured out for Accel Synchro,"_ Era told him in Angelic making him turn to her. _"Remember, Vizor seemed to have a clear mind when he went to do his Accel Synchro. And his duel runner was going at a normal speed right before he began his synchro summoning. I'm not entirely sure the speed of a duel runner is what achieves Accel Synchro."_

" _How did you know I was thinking about that?"_ Yusei asked his girlfriend.

" _I've known you for a long time, Yusei. Remember, I've been watching and protecting you since you were a baby. After all that time, wouldn't you think I would know how to read you enough to have a good idea as to what you're thinking about?"_ she replied.

" _I guess,"_ Yusei answered. _"But do you really think it's a clear mind that allows one to use Accel Synchro?"_

" _It's definitely a possibility,"_ Era answered. _"So maybe sometime you can try to use a clear mind to achieve it."_

" _Maybe,"_ he agreed. He pulled up to the Infinity Tower's overlook point and stopped where we got off. Era leaned on the railing again. _"Are you going to come to dinner that Trudge and Mina all invited us for?"_ He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

" _No, I need to look for demons tonight,"_ Era answered.

" _Then I'm staying with you,"_ Yusei decided.

" _Yusei, no. You need to talk to Trudge and Mina,"_ Era retorted looking at him over her shoulder.

" _Era, I need to protect you. And if you go alone and Brehnam catches you like he did last time, I won't be there to help you get away,"_ Yusei refused and Era looked down seeing his reasoning. He brought her in closer. _"I can't risk losing you like that. So just come with us, alright? So I know you're safe."_

" _But…"_ Era began but Yusei cut her off.

" _No 'buts', Era,'_ he interrupted. _"It's either you come with us and stay by my side, or I'm scouting demons with you by my side."_

She sighed in defeat. _"Fine. You win. I'll go with you,"_ she gave in.

" _Good,"_ Yusei responded and kissed her temple lovingly. Era leaned back into his hold making him hold her tighter.

Era's POV

Later that night, Trudge and Mina sat across from Yusei, Jack, Crow, and I in a fancy restaurant. As soon as we got the food, me just settling with water as I had my weekly meal yesterday, Crow dug in.

"Thanks. I don't know what this is about but…" Crow stopped mid-sentence and noticed Jack and Yusei weren't eating. "Come on, guys, eat."

Jack folded his arms as he said, "This is strange."

Mina and Trudge coughed a bit and Mina asked, stuttering a bit, "W-What is it?"

"Martha always told me, 'Nothing in this world is free. Be thankful to those who speak strict words to you. Watch out for a person who talks to nicely'. Era's also taught me that," Yusei replied.

"It's just as Yusei says. You wouldn't treat them like this for no reason," Jack agreed.

Trudge and Mina obviously were getting nervous. "W-What is it?" Trudge stuttered like Mina.

"So there's no strings attached?" Jack asked.

Trudge hesitantly replied, "Truth is, I have a small favor to ask you."

"I knew it," Jack responded.

"It's nothing too difficult. We found a person with memory loss. We were wondering if you could take care of him," Mina told them.

"Why should we do something like that?" Yusei asked. I knew he was right, I would've even asked that. Trudge and Mina could've found someone else to take care of the guy. There was no true reason to ask them as far as I could tell.

"Right now, New Domino City is busy with the tourists and turbo duelists. It's okay if just for a little while," Mina replied.

"Our garage isn't a hotel," Jack retorted.

"Besides, we can't take care of anyone right now anyways," Crow added still eating.

"Come on, Yusei," Trudge begged.

"Sorry, but we can't," Yusei responded.

"Jack, please," Mina begged.

"No," Jack refused bluntly.

"Can't you do something?" Trudge continued.

"Sorry, but we really can't," Crow intervened.

They looked at me. "Guys, I just stay there when I need to rest after scouting for demons. Other than that, I just hang out there. It's there place so I have no right to make a decision for them," I told them.

"You're being treated to something like this and you plan to refuse?" Trudge asked mad.

"Where is he right now?" Crow asked.

"He should have been here a long time ago," Trudge remarked.

"If he doesn't come, we can't do anything," Crow told them.

Later, we walked back into the garage. As we walked, Crow said, "That was close. We were about to take in a stranger."

"That's because you ate all that food without paying attention to the details," Jack remarked.

"That's because I never know when I'll eat food like that again!" Crow retorted while Yusei and I sighed.

That's when we noticed someone working on Jack's runner. Jack and Crow then noticed as well.

"What're you doing to my runner?!" Jack asked angry. "Are you one of those duel runner thieves?" he then punched the man in the face so hard, the man flew to the ground. "Don't ever come near my duel runner again! Be glad I'm only doing this to you!" He then drove off.

I helped the person up while Yusei asked him, "Are you okay?"

"Guys, we should just leave that guy alone," Crow told us.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I responded. I saw a lot of light in the man and looked at Yusei who nodded, silently telling me he saw it as well.

Trudge and Mina ran over. "What happened?" Trudge asked.

"It wasn't Jack's fault," Crow replied and pointed over to the man next to Yusei and I. "It's because this guy messed with Jack's duel runner."

"Bruno!" Mina called at the man. "Why are you in a place like this?"

Bruno got on his knees and apologized, "Sorry. I thought his duel runner was amazing and I got sucked up into it."

"Is this the person you wanted us to look after?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah," Mina answered.

"What should we do?" Crow asked Yusei.

"Even if I asked him to…" Yusei was cut off by Jack coming in.

Jack grabbed Bruno and said, "I'll return him later." He then rode off again.

"What's going on?" Crow wondered.

"Let's go," Yusei said and turned to Mina and Trudge as I boarded behind him. "Let us handle the rest."

We found Bruno being thrown to the ground. "Please stop," Bruno begged. "I hate violence." I flew off Yusei's runner and grabbed Jack's arm to hold him back.

"Jack, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Crow asked the Signer.

Jack ignored him and asked Bruno, "What did you do to my runner?"

"What're you talking about?" Yusei wondered.

"My duel runner's power has increased," Jack answered surprising me and Yusei.

"All I did was adjust the computer in your runner a bit," Bruno told Yusei.

"Yusei tried to increase the power of our duel runners so much," Crow stated. "And you did all of that in that short amount of time."

"That's the only thing I can think of," Jack added.

I followed Yusei as he walked up to Bruno and placed his hands on Bruno's shoulders, kindly asking him, "How did you do it?"

Bruno got up and went to a computer with Jack's runner on it. "I changed the timing of the boosters so it can power up slightly," he informed.

"I hadn't noticed it before," I said and Yusei nodded in agreement.

"What're they talking about?" Crow asked.

"I have no idea," Jack replied. "Don't let your guard down. I can't think of him as being an ally." I looked at Jack and Crow making them turn back to us.

" _Guys, he isn't that bad. He actually has a lot of light in him,"_ I told them mentally and they looked at me shocked. I returned my attention to Bruno explaining.

"This is also applied to Crow and your duel runners," he told Yusei. "If I tweak the program, the power should be greater than now."

"Really?" Crow asked.

"Crow, are you listening to what he's saying?" Jack asked.

Bruno turned to Crow. "I'll adjust it right away," he told the bird named man. Crow began thrilled about it while Jack face-palmed.

"Is your name…" Yusei asked but Bruno finished.

"Yeah, my name is Bruno," he answered. "You're Yusei, Crow, Era, and Jack, right?" We nodded.

"With your skills, I want you to look at this. It's not moving so well," Yusei said and brought him over to his duel runner's computer.

"This is the Ener-D engine using your project," Bruno responded.

"Does it still rotate?" Crow asked.

"It doesn't yet," Yusei replied.

"It's just using a program right now. But it's better for you to use it," Bruno added. "The Ener-D in a duel runner engine gets worn down as it is used."

"But you can use the program to improve the speed, right?" I asked.

"Right," he answered.

"Isn't that what the new engine was for?" Jack asked. "Are you making a mistake?"

"Can you stay quiet for a while? We're talking about something important right now," Yusei told Jack. I was too caught up into what they were talking about to correct Yusei's actions. I needed to learn this too.

But I did hear Jack ask, "Are you serious?" We ignored him and continued to talk to Bruno.


	20. The Stolen Program

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 20: The Stolen Program

Era's POV

The next day, I sat with Bruno and Yusei as we talked about some programming information.

"Thanks for the help, Bruno," I told him.

"Yeah," Yusei agreed. "Your suggestions have been helpful."

"Your basics for it were solid. As I would've expected for Professor Fudo's son," Bruno responded.

"Did you know my father?" Yusei asked.

Bruno didn't answer to the question. "Professor Fudo's Ener-D is in all the duel runner engines. Any duel runner mechanic would know. Does your name come from the Yusei Gear?" he asked.

"I think so," Yusei replied.

"Is that true? It's an interesting name. The 'Yusei Gear' is an interesting name," Bruno responded.

"I can agree on that," I said making them look at me. "One gear won't do anything. The central gear uses the surrounded gears to rotate."

Bruno nodded. "If we were just using parts of the duel runner, what's the central gear that moves them?" he asked.

"It's the duel monsters that are with us in turbo duels. Above that, I have bonds with Jack, Crow, and Era," Yusei replied and I nodded as he subtly intertwined his fingers with mine.

"It sounds wonderful," Bruno commented.

"Mina told us you lost your memories," Yusei mentioned.

"Did you really?" I asked with slight worry in my voice.

"When I realized it, I was washed up on the beach," Bruno answered.

"Were you in some sort of accident?" Yusei asked.

"I don't remember it at all," he replied. "And when I work on duel runner and duel, it feels like I can remember something."

"Maybe I can help," I stated. They looked at me.

"How?" Bruno asked.

"Era's actually an angel," Yusei told him. Bruno looked at me shocked.

"I was brought back after I died in a car crash a hundred years ago," I told him. "There is a memory retrieve spell that might work."

"Do you think it'll help me remember what happened?" Bruno asked sounding a bit hopeful.

"I can try," I told him. "Do you want to? It can be a bit painful as I'm forcing the memories back but it isn't too much. I won't do it unless you want to."

"Try please," Bruno responded.

"Alright," I agreed. I walked up and placed a hand on his head. I began to shift through the memories he did have but when I reached to a blocked a dark wave forced me onto my back and Yusei helped me up. "A demon's cut off his memories," I said. "I would need a Healer Angels help to break down the spell."

"A demon?" Yusei repeated.

I nodded. "Brehnam probably took part in wiping his memories," I stated.

"What's that mean?" Bruno asked.

"Until I can get a Healer Angel to help, you'll either have to find a way to unlock the memories or go through regular sessions with me breaking away the spell. But without a Healer Angel's help, it can be pretty painful," I explained. "I wish I could help better."

"It's fine. At least now I know what's holding my memories back," Bruno responded.

"Don't worry, Bruno. We'll find a way," Yusei reassured. "Could you stay a while?"

"Is that okay?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah. For the WRGP, we need a new machine," Yusei answered.

"If that's okay with you, I'll become part of the gear that reaches towards your dreams," Bruno agreed.

"Thanks," Yusei responded and they grabbed hands while I grinned.

A while later, Jack and Crow were sitting around, with annoyed and bored expressions and their faces. Leo and Luna then came into the room and Leo asked, "Yusei, can you come play?"

"Leo just found a new combo," Luna added.

Seconds later, Akiza came in. "Yusei, I have a problem with my physics," she said.

I heard Crow shush them. They began to talk about Bruno a bit but I kept my mind focused on trying to work on a program.

As time continued to pass, I helped Bruno and Yusei as we typed on the keyboard until we finished the program.

"We did it," Bruno said. "This program is a miracle."

"Yeah," I agreed followed by Yusei.

"Can I take a quick rest since I haven't had a rest for two days?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah, I haven't either," Yusei responded.

"We'll install the program into the machine tomorrow," I suggested. They nodded and Bruno went to bed.

I went to head to for demons scout when Yusei stopped me. "Era, you haven't had much rest too," he stated.

"Yusei, you know we need to scout. But you need the rest more than me. I can handle this scouting on my own," I told him.

"We're not arguing about this again. Either I'm going with you or you're staying here to rest with me," Yusei told me grabbing my hands tight. "You know that due to my promise to his highness and my love for you, I can't let you go alone with Brehnam after you like this."

"But Yusei…" I began but stopped for a moment. I then continued a couple moments later, "I'm fine on my own. I've been on my own since before I met you."

"But back then, you didn't have a demon out to get you," Yusei retorted. He brought me into him again. "Listen to me for once. Please. You need the rest just as much as I do."

I looked down, submission written on over my face. "Alright. I'll stay here for now," I agreed.

He gave me a soft grin. "Since Bruno's taking the couch now, you can lie with me again," he told me.

I blushed again thinking back on what happened last time. "I…" I began but Yusei cut me off by touching his lips to mine. It was a soft kiss but Yusei held my body as close to him as possible.

When he pulled back, I opened my eyes which I had unconsciously closed and looked up at him. He tucked a fallen chunk of hair behind my ear again making my blush grow darker. He gave me a soft grin which I returned in an instant.

"Come on," he whispered and pulled me to his bed. I lied down beside him and he held me close and tight. I could hear his naturally fast heartbeat as it raced in his chest. "Get some sleep. Alright?" I nodded and closed my eyes.

But I immediately opened them as I felt Yusei's wings wrap around me again. I slowly looked at him and saw he was asleep. _'He loves me and is more protective of me than I realized, doesn't he? To change and wrap around me like this in his sleep…'_ I thought. _'Yusei…'_

I slowly pushed it aside for a while and closed my eyes to fall asleep. And slowly, sleep did overcome my body.

. . .

The next day, we woke up to find the program we made gone.

"The data was stolen?!" Jack exclaimed angry.

"I was careless," Yusei admitted. "I should have kept a backup."

"It's all our fault. All three of us were careless," Bruno stated. "Right now, there's nothing we can do about it."

Jack grabbed Bruno and asked him, "Were you the one who stole it? I thought you were suspicious from the start."

"You're wrong. It wasn't me," Bruno replied.

"Let Bruno go," I told Jack.

"Don't stop me! I'll get everything out of Bruno," Jack retorted.

"Jack, stop it already," Crow stated defensively, walking over.

"Why are you trying to protect him?" Jack asked.

"There's nothing to protect. If Bruno did it, then he would have ran away after stealing the data," Crow reasoned. "What kind of thief would stick around after stealing something?"

"Whatever," Jack gave in and let Bruno go.

"Creating a program need a lot of work. It's complicated," Bruno said. He folded his arms, adding, "It's near impossible to create the program Yusei, Era, and I made."

"The only way to find the thief, then," Jack said.

Crow blew over the computer keyboard and said, "The guy didn't leave behind any evidence. I can't even find a finger print."

"Without any evidence, how can we find the thief?" Jack wondered.

"Are you guys really forgetting what I can do?" I asked and they looked at me. "What did I tell you after Leo and Luna dueled Lester?"

"What was that again?" Crow asked.

"She can look into the past, remember?" Yusei replied.

"Oh, yeah," Crow responded.

"She can?" Bruno asked.

"Only into recent past," I corrected. "But it should be early enough for me to see anything."

"Go ahead and try it, Era," Jack responded.

I nodded and activated the spell. I watched silently as I saw a man open the door in a now dimly lit garage. He walked down to the computer and that's when I got a good look at him.

' _Lazar!'_ I exclaimed mentally. I released the spell and looked at them. I nodded.

"Who was it?" Jack asked.

"Lazar," I answered bluntly.

"Lazar?!" Crow exclaimed while everyone else seemed shocked. I nodded.

"Why would Lazar steal our program?" Yusei wondered.

"Don't know," I answered.

"Do you know that guy?" Bruno asked.

"He's the Vice Director of Sector Security," Yusei explained.

"Why would Sector Security being looking for our program?" Bruno wondered.

"I don't know. But I do want to find out," I answered while the others nodded in agreement.


	21. The Mates

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 21: The Mates

Third Person POV

Bruno, Yusei, Jack, and Crow thought silently. Era gave a silent, frustrated sigh in the thought of going to find Lazar herself.

"I got this," she said and ran out fast.

"Era!" Yusei called sounding annoyed but it was too late.

"Go after her, Yusei. We'll search on the ground," Crow told him. "And keep in contact with us."

"Right," Yusei agreed and ran out. They noticed a light flash outside before there was no sign of Yusei.

"Is Yusei an angel too?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah," Jack answered. "We didn't even know until recently."

"Really?" Bruno asked shocked by the development.

"Yeah," Crow answered. "But he was keeping it a secret with Era under a god's orders so…"

"I get it," Bruno responded. "Let's go find Lazar." The other two nodded and they were off fast.

. . .

Yusei flew around the air. Keeping a close eye out for Era but also keeping his mind of finding Lazar. He groaned in annoyance as he couldn't seem to find Era anywhere.

' _Where is she?'_ Yusei thought. _'This is one of the times I wish I had the ability to talk to her telepathically again.'_

Suddenly someone pulled in front of him making him pull to a stop. Yusei looked at the person and glared. _'Brehnam…'_ he growled mentally.

"Looking for your precious angel, are you?" the demon asked. Yusei stayed silently making his opposite grin. But Yusei did notice Brehnam's missing arm was replaced by something that seemed mechanical but it had dark energy radiating off it.

"I see you got an arm back," Yusei stated. "Couldn't stand not having the one I blew off?"

Brehnam growled in fury. "Don't tempt me to rip yours off," he retorted angrily.

"I would love to see you try," Yusei fought. "But I'm not worried about fighting you right now. I'm more worried about Era."

"Ah, still have strong feelings for her," Brehnam said returning to a calm nature. "When are you planning on letting those feelings go? Once I have her, you won't be able to function unless you let that precious Guardian Angel go."

"You're not going to take her," Yusei retorted defensively.

"I already have a couple strong demons chasing after her. It won't be long before she's tied up in my hands," Brehnam stated worrying Yusei beyond what seemed possible.

"If you hurt Era, I'm going…" he began but the demon king cut him off.

"You're going to what? You may be strong, Yusei. But no mere angel can wipe me out alone," Brehnam said with a laugh. "Even if you fought me, your angel strength still hasn't reached its full potential. As such, the likelihood of you coming out alive is slim. And what would poor Era do if she found out you were killed?" Yusei glared but Brehnam could see a hint of confusion deep in Yusei's eyes. "Oh? Did Era not tell you?" He laughed again. "An angel's strength continues to grow to its full potential for a couple years. It takes about two years after becoming an angel for their power to fully come into this world."

"How would you know that?" Yusei asked.

"Izoa told us all about you angels and your abilities," Brehnam stated flying up and Yusei didn't budge. "Ah, poor Yusei. You still have so much to learn. But I do know why Lazar wanted that oh-so-special program you three made. Would you like to know?" Brehnam got closer to Yusei while the angel didn't reply. "Primo has some big plans for everyone and he sent Lazar to get the program that would help put his plans into motion." Yusei widened his eyes in realization but quickly regained his composure. He looked as Brehnam gave a small, depraved, successful grin. The demon then said after a couple seconds, "Seems like Era couldn't run forever."

"You're going to leave her alone!" Yusei retorted defensively.

"Don't worry. I'm going to give you the chance to say goodbye," Brehnam stated. "It's the last bit of revenge I could think of. Have you watch as I take her away to the Underworld. But if you want that chance, you'll have to find her. She's where Lazar is taking the program. Find that, and you'll get your last chance to see Era." He then laughed sinisterly before flying off.

Yusei glared in the direction Brehnam went. _'You're not taking her to the Underworld,'_ he thought as he darted off to find Lazar. _'I promise, Era. I'm going to save you and keep you safe. For the Crimson Dragon and for both of us.'_

. . .

Era slammed her body into the bars of a large demon cage. The echo of the bang rang in the empty, large room. The dark energy wasn't as strong as the last one so it didn't hurt her too bad. But she couldn't break out, no matter how hard she tried.

' _How did I let myself get caught?! This isn't you, Era,'_ she scolded herself.

The door to the room opened and she flipped to the person walking in. "Who's there?" she called defensively.

A deep, familiar voice cackled. She tensed as Primo stepped in front of her. "So this little angel is the most powerful of them all?" he taunted. "To think one so strong can be made so weak by a simple cage."

"Let me out and we'll see how strong I am," Era retorted. She heard hard beating, dark wings land to her side and turned to the demon. "Brehnam…" she growled.

"Still have such a strong will, fighting spirit," he responded. "Don't worry. By the time I take you to the Underworld, you won't have that spirit anymore."

"Yusei won't allow that to happen," she retorted.

"You truly have faith in your mate, don't you?" Brehnam asked.

"Mate? We're just a couple. We're not 'mates' yet," Era replied.

"That's something Izoa was able to change in the textbooks at Angel Academy. The true meaning of the sign between a male angel wrapping his wings around a female," Brehnam responded. Era looked at him closely. "A male angel doesn't entirely choose to wrap his wings around an angel. He naturally does it when he is close enough to the female that his body wants to. When he wraps his wing around the female in that protective hold, it is a sign of unbreakable love between the two and locks the two in a bond similar to marriage for an angel. Just as demons make our attachments."

"That's…" she stopped unsure what to say.

Brehnam smirked and gently caressed her cheek. Era winced at the dark energy. "Shh…" he whispered. "It'll be time for you to say goodbye to your mate soon enough." Brehnam then pulled his hand back and he and Primo walked out.

' _That's not…'_ Era thought still in shock. _'Yusei… help me…'_

 **Okay, don't get mad at me for doing this if you don't like it. It kind of just came along as it appeared in my head.**

 **To be honest, I don't have most of this story played out scene from scene. I honestly never have for any of my stories. I just put down what I think of and feel will work. Sorry if you don't like what just happened. Kind of just thought it would be interesting to put in Era's head and mess with her a bit.**

 **Anyway, let me know whatever you think through PMs and reviews. I like to hear your feedback as I want to get better. Just please don't be too harsh or rude in any of them.**

 **If you want a good example for something rude and harsh, look at my Guardian story's reviews for one by "kenki ghoul". I might respond but I won't care if you want to be as rude as him/her. *shrugs* I'm a writer and I'm me. That's all that matters.**

 **For me, I want to hear opinions. That's why I sometimes have voting questions so I can hear your voice instead of going completely on my own.**

 **Anywho, I've ranted for long enough. See you in the next chapter, readers!**

 **-bricann**


	22. The Locket

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 22: The Locket

Third Person POV

Yusei searched around for a while. After hearing Brehnam's information as to where Era would be, he focused on finding Lazar. He had already informed his friends of the situation.

" _Anyone have a lock on Lazar yet?"_ Yusei asked his worry only increasing as the time went on.

" _No,"_ Jack answered.

" _Nothing here,"_ Crow followed.

" _I might have just found him,"_ Bruno answered.

" _Where?"_ Yusei immediately asked.

" _A closed down building off the pier,"_ the programmer answered.

" _I'll meet you there,"_ Yusei responded. _"Wait for me in case Brehnam is around."_

" _Right,"_ Bruno agreed and they all went silent again.

. . .

Lazar walked inside and met Primo in one of the halls of the building. "The program, sir," he stated.

"You are dismissed," Primo responded and Lazar left. Primo turned to a surveillance camera and saw Yusei and Bruno in the building. "So he's here. Looking for Era and the program, no doubt. But he's too late."

Primo pressed a button before walking off.

. . .

Yusei and Bruno walked around the building and found a factory full of unfamiliar machinery.

"This is almost like a spaceship or something," Bruno stated.

"I guess," Yusei agreed.

They walked around to further investigate the area. "Do you have any idea on where Era is in here?" Bruno asked the angel.

"I'm getting a faint energy signal from her light," Yusei explained. "But it's too faint for me to track without being closer to it."

"Why is it so faint, though?" Bruno asked.

"I don't know," Yusei answered. "And it shouldn't be. It's making me even more worried."

"We'll find her and the program, Yusei," Bruno reassured.

"I know we will," he agreed. "I don't even have a choice with finding Era."

"Yusei!" came a young voice. They turned to May as she landed through the ceiling, panting. "Yu… sei…" she called again between breaths.

"Whoa, easy, May. What's going on?" Yusei asked.

"Era… needs your help," May informed.

"Do you know where she is?" Yusei asked. May nodded. "Where?"

"She's locked in a Demon Cage to the far south end of the building," May explained.

"Do you know if she's alright?" Bruno asked.

"For now, she is. What Brehnam doesn't know about angels is that angels can't even enter the Underworld unless it's by choice," May explained. "So once Brehnam learns that Era can't go with him unless she chooses two, he'll either kill her or…"

Yusei finished for her, "Blackmail her with my safety."

"Yeah," May agreed. "And with her promise to your father, she'll do anything to keep you safe. Even go to the Underworld if needed."

"I promised the Crimson Dragon I would protect Era at all costs. If she even ends up there, I'm going there and saving her," Yusei stated.

"I'll help you with that," May agreed shocking Yusei. "I owe Era a lot. She helped my studies in Angel Academy and her help with the Demon Exorcist Spell is what got me to graduate before the rest of my class. If it wasn't for her help, I would probably be stuck in class still."

"I don't think that's entirely true, May," Yusei corrected.

"Before Era started helping, I was relatively slow with comprehending all the information. Once Era started helping the class and helping me with my studies, I began to speed up and passed all my classes. I graduated just a couple months after Era's record time," May explained.

"How long are angels usually in the Academy?" Bruno asked.

"Usually an angel will be studying there for about two to two and a half years," May explained.

"Huh," was all Bruno responded with.

May was about to say something to Yusei when alarms went off a door with a purple aura around it separated Yusei and May from Bruno.

"Bruno!" Yusei called.

"I'm fine!" the man called back.

May touched the wall and yanked it back. "This wall has a demon's power around it. We can't get back to Bruno," she stated.

"I'll keep up my search on this side while you keep up yours," Bruno stated.

"Be careful, Bruno," Yusei told him. "There's a demon involved. And when there's a demon involved, that means there's something bad going on here. So be careful and watch everything around you."

"Right," Bruno agreed and the two angels heard the human leave.

"Come on, Yusei. We'll find Era and Lazar," May stated and they began their walk again.

Yusei then asked after a few minutes of tense silence, "May, how did you know about Lazar and everything that's going on?"

May brought out her locket and explained, "I got an alert message from Era. She explained as much as she could. I responded but she hasn't sent anything back."

"I see," Yusei responded.

"Speaking of angel lockets," she reached into her skirt pocket, "I have this for you." She handed Yusei something and he opened his hand and looked at it. He went wide eyed. It was a wrist locket.

"I haven't taken the test yet, though," Yusei responded.

"Era spoke to us about what you did. Since it was the exact same procedure as the test itself, we all agreed that we could mark it as passing. Usually Era would give it to you, but she never got the chance. So she told me to give you the locket," May explained. "The locket can be used as a communicator. Lockets are made specifically by the Crimson Dragon and are imprinted with the DNA of the angel the locket will be given to you. And the locket will not work for anyone or any angel other than the chosen angel. So this locket will only work for you. They also tend to have specific extra items depending on the type of angel you are. A Combat Angel's locket will allow you to locate the position of another angel. That's how I know where Era is. A World's will allow the angel to communicate to more than one angel at a time when usually they can only communicate with one. A Stealth's will give the angel extra protection when they're in the Underworld. A Healer's give extra power. Soldier Defense lockets give the angel faster reflexes when necessary. And a Knowledge Angel's locket allows the angel to create projection spells without much energy. With this locket, if you ever get separated from Era, you'll know where she is now."

"That'll definitely be helpful. With how much she likes to disappear," Yusei responded, clipping the bracelet on his wrist. The chain and locket gave a quick glow before fading to nothing.

"Look around while thinking about Era. Do you see a line leading in certain directions?" May asked. Yusei nodded. "That's the way we need to go to get to Era."

"Alright. Let's go," Yusei responded and they began to run again.


	23. The Lockdown

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 23: The Lockdown

Era's POV

I just sat in the Demon Cage. I could feel the burning of the darkness on my body but didn't pay it any mind. I was scared and shocked by what Brehnam had told me. I was still trying to figure out how I was going to tell Yusei about us being mates.

And the more I thought about the possibility being a lie from Brehnam, the more I found reasons for it being true from class and what's happened after Yusei wrapped his wings around me that first time. Firstly, the definition of a male wrapping his wings around was that it meant a deep loving relationship between the male and female angel. And secondly, he's been all the more protective of me since he first wrapped his wings around me. After all, the second part of the definition was that it was a sign of protection between the two angels.

' _Is it… really possible?'_ I thought. I fearful tear fell onto the bottom of the cage but the light within the tear made it evaporate upon contact with the dark floor. _'Yusei… please, help me…'_

Suddenly, the door opened as Primo and Brehnam seemed to argue. I was quick to wipe my tears away and return to a determined, stoic face as I looked at the two with a glare.

"You want to what?!" Brehnam exclaimed.

"If he finds out our plans, it could cause big trouble," Primo replied.

"It is _your_ plan, Primo. _My_ plan is to finalize my revenge by letting Yusei watch as I take Era to the Underworld," Brehnam argued. "And if you trap them here and activate the self-destruct, I will never get that chance!"

"Your revenge means nothing to me. All that matters is that you get the girl anyway and my plan to create more Ghosts to draw the circuit faster succeeds," Primo retorted defiantly.

' _Create more Ghosts? That's what Lazar got the program for!'_ I thought.

"I could always tell Jakob of your plan, Primo, early," Brehnam threatened.

"Do that, and you will regret messing with me. Remember, you can't possess me," Primo responded.

Brehnam glared. "And I can obliterate you if I wanted to," he retorted.

"I'll give him some more time before I activate the self-destruction. If he can beat the duelbot before then, he'll be able to find her. But I won't wait until he's done with the bot. Can we agree to that?" Primo suggested.

"Fine," Brehnam agreed. "But don't test me, Primo." Primo glared and walked out. Brehnam turned to me. "Oh, how I can't wait to bring you to the Underworld."

"You won't bring me there. Yusei will stop you and Primo and get me out of here," I retorted.

Brehnam kneeled to my eyelevel where I was sitting on the floor, too weak from the darkness and the cage too small for me to stand. He slowly reached in and held my cheek.

"Oh, Era. So naïve to think your mate will be able to save you before you're taken to the Underworld with me," Brehnam whispered.

"What'll you even do to me, an angel, when I get into the Underworld?" I asked. "I don't think the demons would look up to a leader who takes an angel there without any torture in store for them."

Brehnam gave a demented grin. "You'll find out exactly what I have planned for you when we arrive," he told me. "And Yusei won't be able to stop me."

"We'll see if you can even get me there first. After all, an angel can't go to the Underworld through force. It must be by choice," I told him.

Brehnam's grin turned to a demon's smile as he laughed. "When the time comes, you'll find out what's true," he told me.

He sent a shock of dark energy through my body making me whimper slightly as I was already in pain from the Demon Cage. He then took his hand away and walked out, leaving me with more confusion and with tense, uncomfortable silence once again.

Third Person POV

May and Yusei ran through the halls. They were keeping an eye out for Era's location and Lazar who probably still had the program.

"How big is this place?" May wondered in annoyance.

"I don't know," Yusei replied. "But it seems to go on forever."

"Can't we just fly?" May asked.

"And how would that be any better than just running?" Yusei asked.

"We would go faster," May replied in a bored voice.

"But that would also make it harder to look for anyone or anything," Yusei reasoned.

"True," May agreed. "Oh and Yusei, congratulations on beating Era's graduating record."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Era's Date of Academic Learning, being a year and a half, was the fastest known yet. And you beat it since you graduated at six months. Era told me to congratulate you when I got the chance. After all, a Combat Angel's lessons and job is probably the hardest to master compared to the others," May explained.

"I kind of figured Combat Angels have a harder time learning and graduating. Especially with the Demon Exorcist Spell being so complicated," Yusei responded. May shrugged. He turned and noticed a familiar, purple haired clown turning a corner into a room. "There's Lazar."

"Come on, Yusei," May ordered and they turned behind him.

As soon as they got within arm's reach of Lazar, Yusei grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. Yusei held Lazar off the ground slightly, with his arm at Lazar's neck.

"Oh, hello, Yusei and friend," Lazar greeted nervously. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Where's the program and Era?" Yusei asked sternly.

"Why, I don't know anything about either of them," Lazar denied innocently.

"Don't play dumb, Lazar," May ordered as Yusei's glare intensified and even Lazar grew slightly fearful of the deadly eyes being directed at him.

"Where are they?" Yusei asked again, slightly anger and frustration in his voice.

"Uh… um… uh…" Lazar stammered. He was obviously trying to find a way out of the situation without telling anything of what he knew but he was struggling to with Yusei's glare that only seemed to grow stronger the longer he waited. "I… You see, my higher ups…" Lazar was cut off as a robot came out, taking all of their attention to it.

"Orders received. Closing and locking all exits in room," he listed off.

"Oh, great," May stated sarcastically as the doors shut and were locked tight. She went to one and tried to open it but merely yanked her arms back. "Demon energy is surrounding all the doors and locks, isn't it?"

"We're trapped here, then," Yusei stated. He sent a glare at Lazar before letting him go.

"Lockdown sequence complete. If the doors are to be unlocked, you must defeat me in a duel," the robot requested.

"So we have to beat that thing to get out?" Yusei asked.

"Correct," the robot answered. "Choose a player."

"Uh, how about one of you do it?" Lazar suggested.

"I'll do it," May stated.

"No, May," Yusei denied. "How much have you actually dueled at all?"

"I learned and mastered dueling in Angel Academy. I was the best in class and nearly stripped Era of her record," May replied.

"But have you kept up your practice?" Yusei responded and May saw his point.

"Choose a player," the robot requested again.

"I'm going," Yusei responded. He jumped over the railing and onto the ground. He got his duel disk and deck ready in its slot.

"Yusei, be careful!" May called. "I do _not_ want to get on Era's bad side by letting you get hurt."

"I'll be fine, May," Yusei told her. "I have to save Era anyways and I'm not planning on letting her down."

"Duel initiated," the robot called. "Opponent may have first turn."

"Fine," Yusei agreed and drew his card. "I activate the spell card One for One! By sending Speed Warrior from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Level Eater (Attack 600/ Defense 0) in defense mode. I then summon Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in attack mode and activate its effect. This allows me to special summon Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) from my graveyard in defense mode with its effects negated. Now I tune Speed Warrior with Junk Synchron in order to synchro summon, Junk Warrior (Attack 2300/ Defense 1300)!" His monster came to the field with his signature punch. "And due to Junk Warrior's effect, it gains attack equal to the attack of all level two or below monsters I control (Junk Warrior: Attack 2900). I then set a face down and end my turn."

The robot drew his card. "Activating card, Level Limit- Area B! Now all level four or above monsters will be changed to defense position," it declared and Junk Warrior switched to its defense mode. "Ending turn with three face downs."

Yusei drew his card. "I activate Graceful Revival to special summon Speed Warrior from my graveyard in attack mode," he declared.

"Activating counter, Malfunction to negate the activation of Graceful Revival and resetting it by paying 500 life points," the robot fought and its life points fell to 3500. And since Graceful Revival was negated Speed Warrior returned to the graveyard. "And now since a counter trap card I control negated one of your cards, I can special summon Lock Dragon (Attack 0/ Defense 2000) in defense position. Now while Lock Dragon is in face up defense mode, both players are forbidden from special summoning monsters. I then activate Counter Force. This card gains one Charge Counter due to a counter trap card being activated. During my standby phase, I can send Counter Force to the graveyard and inflict 1000 points of damage to you for each Charge Counter that is on Counter Force."

' _That thing is going to try to put four counters on it, so it can inflict 4000 points of damage at me. I need to find a way around this monster and fast,'_ Yusei thought.

. . .

Meanwhile, Bruno walks into a new room and looks around in shock. Suddenly the door opened behind him and he couldn't see who it was before he was knocked out.

. . .

"I set a face down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

The bot drew its card. "I activate Summon Pass! Now when a player normal summon a level four or below monster, the player's opponent draws one card and the summoned monster's controller must then call what type of card is drawn, a monster, spell, or trap. If the player calls wrong, the summoned monster is destroyed," it declared. "I set one face down and end my turn."

Yusei drew. "I switch Level Eater into attack position and activate Synchro Gift. By reducing Junk Warrior's attack to 0 (Junk Warrior: Attack 0) until the end phase, I can increase the attack of Level Eater by the original attack of Junk Warrior until the end phase (Level Eater: Attack 2900)," he declared. "Level Eater, attack Lock Dragon!"

"Countering with Negate Attack. This negates the attack and ends the battle phase. And then the effect of Counter Force activates, giving it a second Charge Counter," the robot countered.

"I end my turn," Yusei finished and due to it being the end phase, Level Eater's attack returned to 600 and Junk Warrior's attack returned to 2900.

The robot drew a card. "Setting one face down and ending turn," he declared.

Yusei drew his card. He was beginning to worry. _'The longer I stay here dueling this robot, the less time I have before I won't be able to stop Era from going to the Underworld,'_ he thought. That's when alarms started going off and lights blinked in an eerie, red glowing pattern.

"SELF-DESTRUCTION INITIATED! PLEASE EVACUATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY!" a mechanical voice called. It continued to repeat its warning over and over.

"Yusei, please hurry!" Lazar called.

"I'm trying, Lazar! I have to find Era anyways," Yusei retorted. He turned back to the duel. "I summon Drill Synchron (Attack 800/ Defense 300) inn attack mode!"

"I activate the effect of Summon Pass!" the robot called and it drew its card. "Guess the type of card."

"A trap," Yusei stated. The robot revealed the card to be the trap card, Barrel Behind the Door. "I activate Blind Spot Strike! This increases the attack of Drill Synchro by the defense of Lock Dragon until the end phase."

"Activating, Magic Jammer. This negates the effect of your card and destroys it by discarding Barrel Behind the Door! This also added a third Charge Counter to Counter Force," the robot defended.

"I end my turn," Yusei finished.

" _Yusei!"_ came Crow's voice in Yusei's mind. _"You and May need to get out of there!"_

" _Are you watching this?"_ Yusei asked.

" _Yeah, and you need to get out of there now!"_ Jack replied.

" _I can't. This entire room's been put on lockdown until I beat this robot. I have Lazar in here too and none of us can leave until I beat this thing,"_ Yusei explained.

" _Then hurry it up!"_ Crow retorted.

" _I'm trying, Crow. For now, all of you get out of here. I'll meet you outside. And hopefully with Era,"_ Yusei reassured.

" _Do you know where she is?"_ Bruno asked.

" _I think,"_ Yusei answered. _"But I'll get to her as soon as I'm done here. For now, you three get out."_

" _Yusei, you don't have time to beat that thing and look for her,"_ Bruno stated.

" _I don't have a choice. Just get out now!"_ Yusei responded before cutting the connection. He turned back to the duel again, blocking out Lazar's urgent, and annoying, calls for the angel to hurry.

The robot drew its card. "Activating Messenger of Peace! Now neither player can attack with monsters that have 1500 or more attack points," it declared. "And during each of my standby phases, I must either pay 100 life points or destroy Messenger of Peace. Ending turn there."

Yusei drew his card. "I activate Double Cyclone! By targeting my set Graceful Revival and your Counter Force, I can destroy them," he declared.

"Activating Solemn Judgement to negate the effect of Double Cyclone by paying half my life points," the robot declared and its life points fell to 1750. The effect of Counter Force activated, giving it a fourth counter.

"I tribute Level Eater in order to tribute summon Earthquake Giant (Attack 1600/ Defense 2100) in attack mode," Yusei fought but duel to the effect of Level Limit- Area B, Yusei's monster was switched to defense position since it was a level five monster. "I activate the effect of Earthquake Giant! Since its battle position was changed, I can switch Lock Dragon to attack mode. And this means Lock Dragon's effect is no longer applied to both players. And then I activate, Panic Wave! By destroying Graceful Revival, I can negate the effects of all face up Continuous Spell and Trap cards and any effect monsters you control this turn. So now I tune Junk Warrior with Drill Synchron to synchro summon, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)! Now Stardust Dragon, attack Lock Dragon!" The attack succeeded and the robot's life points fell to 0.

All the doors were unlocked and Yusei ordered, "May, get Lazar out of here! I'll go find Era!"

"But…" May began.

"No 'buts', May! When you're outside, get information out of Lazar and the program. I'll meet you outside once I get Era," Yusei responded.

"Ugh…" May groaned in defeat. "Fine. But don't make me regret doing this!" She then grabbed Lazar and pulled him out.

Yusei changed into his angel form, shocking Lazar a bit, before he flew out of the room and through the halls. He followed Era's trail thanks to his locket, hoping to get to her in time.

. . .

May and Lazar got out and Jack, Crow, and Bruno ran up. "Where's Yusei?" Crow asked.

"That angel is as stubborn as a Belanchi," May responded and they gave her confused looks. "It's an animal from the planet Myliee. They're more stubborn than a mule. But he wouldn't budge. He's probably flying around, tracking Era down. Hopefully, he'll make it out in time."

. . .

Yusei entered a room and saw Era locked in her cage. "Era!" he called and she turned to him.

"Yusei!" she responded and he reached in and touched her face.

"I'm getting you out of here," he stated.

"Not quite, Yusei," said Brehnam and they turned to him. "She'll be coming with me."

"No, she won't," Yusei retorted.

"You misunderstand the truth of an angel coming to the Underworld. It doesn't have to be by choice," Brehnam responded shocking and worrying Yusei. Suddenly a dark portal formed underneath Era's cage and she began to slowly sink into it.

Brehnam stepped on top of it and they disappeared. Yusei didn't waste a second before following the two in, just before the gate closed.


	24. The First Sight of the Underworld

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 24: The First Sight of the Underworld

Era's POV

As soon as we entered the Underworld, I was dragged out of my cage and thrown into a room. I was surprised I wasn't thrown into a dungeon or something but it still might as well have been with unbreakable, locked doors.

But the room I was in was an actual bedroom in looks. A queen sized bed with black sheets and pillows. The walls were black as well with red outlines and black and red checkerboard designed tile floors stood beneath my feet. I turned to the singular window in the room and found, just like the doors, were locked.

I tried to use an attack to break the window but the window did nothing but rattle. I knew I was seriously weakened from being in that Demon Cage for so long. Not including the fact that an angel is at their weakest when they're in the Underworld.

Suddenly the door to my room opened and a couple demons ran in and one dragged me to the bed. The other quickly locked my arms and legs spread open to the four corners of the bed with demon chains.

I yanked at them as hard as I could but I couldn't break them, not that expected to with them being demon chains. The demons walked out with that. I felt a fearful tear escape my left eye as I thought, _'Yusei, help me. Please…'_

Third Person POV

Yusei stood on a rocky cliff looking out at the vast world below him. _'So this is the Underworld, huh?'_ he thought.

A lot of the area was just rocks and lava. There were a few houses here and there but everywhere near the rocks were people in chains. They were using pickaxes to destroy the rock, looking for something that Yusei didn't know. The people were malnourished by what Yusei could tell with their boney, thin structure and he could see scars along some of their bodies. He then noticed a better shaped man with red eyes and black hair stand over a fallen slave. He raised a whip and slapped it down on the slave's back. Yusei was horribly tempted to go and help but he knew this was the Underworld and he would be at his weakest here. He also knew he needed to save his strength for getting Era out.

He used his locket and a line directing him to Era appeared. He silently took off in flight at the highest he could go in the air so he would be easily seen. He felt saddened as he looked at the number of slaves compared to the number of slave owning demons hurting some weakened, fallen slaves.

' _If only I could help them,'_ Yusei thought.

He looked back ahead to where he was going and saw a castle in the distance of which the line was directing him to. As he got closer, he hid behind some rocks. There we several demons guarding the perimeter and Yusei knew there was no easy way through.

' _If I'm seen by them, there will be no way for me to get to Era,'_ Yusei thought. _'But I can't wait until nightfall. I don't think Era has that kind of time.'_

He then thought of something. A demon's mind is easy for an angel to manipulate if they're weak and from what Yusei could tell, these demons were weak. He looked at one and used a spell to control the demon and make the demon say, think, and do things.

"Hey, guys," called the demon as he ran up. They turned to him. "There's a slave problem on the west side. We need some help to round them up."

"Alright, let's go," they agreed and flew off and away from the scene.

Yusei hurried through the perimeter and into the castle. He could feel the overwhelming amount of dark energy surrounding this place. It was bad enough outside but in the castle… there was no calculating how much darkness was in here.

He silently slipped by guards and around the castle. But this place seemed like a maze and was unending. Yusei stopped at one door that was guarded by two demons. He hid behind a statue as Brehnam walked up to it. The demons bowed.

"How's our…" Brehnam paused looking for the right word, "guest doing?"

"Struggling to break her bonds, sir," one answered. "But she will not succeed, I can assure you."

"Good," Brehnam responded. "It'll make it all the easier to weaken her soul and break her."

"Sir, if I may ask, how do you intend to do so?" one of the guards asked.

"How I choose to do so doesn't matter. What matters is that the Guardian Angel of Light's power is destroyed with her hope," Brehnam stated. "Let me inside. It's time I get my revenge."

"Yes, sir," the first one agreed and the two opened the door. Brehnam walked in before the door was closed.

" _The next time you try to do this alone, I'll be the snot out of you,'_ came a whisper being spoken in Angelic. Yusei turned to see May appeared.

" _May,"_ Yusei greeted. _"What're you doing here?"_

" _What do you think?"_ May replied sternly. _"Helping you get Era back."_

" _Are you sure you can?"_ Yusei asked.

" _Hey, newbie, who's more experienced here?"_ May replied. Yusei rolled his eyes. _"What do you have so far?"_

" _Era's in that room right across from us,"_ he replied. _"We need to get in there."_

" _Yeah, we need to save your mate,"_ May agreed.

" _Mate? We're only a couple right now,"_ Yusei responded.

" _Uh, not quite. We learned about it after going through some of Izoa's old personal items. It includes how he changed the information of the textbook's definition of a male angel wrapping his wings around a female,"_ May began and Yusei looked at her, prodding for more information. _"According to what Izoa took out, when the two angels get close enough, the male will naturally and not completely consciously wrap his wings around the female as a sign of protection. But it is also the sign that the two are mates for life. In human terms, mating is the same as marriage."_

" _Like demons making attachments?"_ Yusei responded and May nodded. _"So are you really saying me and Era are mated for life and are basically married?"_

" _Yes,"_ May answered.

Yusei shook his head to clear his thoughts. _"We'll talk about this more after we save Era,"_ he told the other angel. May nodded again and jumped out before Yusei could say anything.


	25. The Freedom and the Explanation

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 25: The Freedom and the Explanation

Third Person POV

The demons looked at May shocked. "What're you doing here, angel?" asked the first guard.

"And I would tell you, why?" May replied and they growled.

"We'll tear a little shrimp like you apart!" yelled the second and the two attacked.

May easily knocked out the first while Yusei jabbed the second, neutralizing him before knocking him out.

"You're not half bad at hand to hand combat, Yusei," May praised.

"Let's just focus on getting Era back," he responded. "After that, we'll deal with everything else."

May nodded and they walked to the door. They pushed on it but not a sound was made as it opened. As they entered, they saw Brehnam traced his fingers down Era's entire body as she winced and tensed at the dark energy.

"Back away from her!" Yusei ordered surprising Brehnam.

The demon king turned to the two angels. "I knew you were attached to your mate but I didn't think you would go as far as entering the Underworld," he said.

"I'll never abandon, Era. I promised to keep her safe and I'll keep it," Yusei retorted.

"And what about you, May—Am I correct?" Brehnam asked.

"I owe everything to Era. I won't abandon her either," she answered.

"Do you really think you'll be able to take me on and get out of here with Era?" Brehnam asked.

"Bet on it," Yusei replied. Brehnam's hands glowed with an attack while Yusei and May got into defensive stances.

" _Yusei,"_ May whispered. He looked at her slightly, thought kept most of his focus on Brehnam. _"I'll keep Brehnam busy while you deal with Era and get her out of here."_

" _I'm not leaving here without you, May. Era will kill me if I do,"_ Yusei responded.

" _But…"_ May began but paused. _"Fine. But at least get Era out of those chains and free her so we can make an easy escape."_

Yusei nodded. He turned and barely avoided a ball of dark energy being shot at him. He looked at Brehnam who had a confident grin on his face. May then shot an attack at Brehnam, turning the demon's attention to her. Yusei took that time to run over to Era. He sliced the chains off with a spell and Era relaxed a bit.

Yusei grabbed her and pulled her in to a tight hug. Era felt so weak and frail in his arms and it made him sad to feel how weak she was now. "Let's get out of here," he told her. She nodded. He looked at May. "May, let's get out of here!"

She nodded and a portal opened to the left of Yusei. He stood up and brought Era into his arms. He reached under her and picked her up bridle style. Era set her head against his chest.

"You're not leaving here!" Brehnam called.

"Watch us!" May responded and they ran through the portal.

. . .

Yusei walked out onto the overlook with May next to him and Era in his arms. Yusei kneeled on the ground and held Era in his lap.

"Era…" he muttered. She looked at him. "Are you alright?"

"Now I am," she answered sounding weak. Yusei used a healing spell to help her a bit. "I'm sorry about this, Yusei, May."

"It's fine, Era," May reassured. "I don't think you wanted this to happen."

Era gave a small grin. Yusei brought her in tight again. Era whispered to Yusei, "I knew you would come for me."

"I would never abandon you and leave you, Era," Yusei responded. "You know that."

"I know," she agreed. "Thank you for coming for me," she told both of the other angels.

"Don't worry about it," May told her. "It's what angels do. Besides, I owed you after all you've done helping me." Era smiled at her.

"Can you get up, Era? The others are probably worried," Yusei told her. The angel nodded and slowly stood up.

"Come on," May called and they flew away to the garage.

When they arrived, Jack, Crow, and Bruno all stood up alert at the sign of Era who was still slightly weak.

"Is she alright?" Crow asked.

"Yeah," Yusei answered. "Just a bit weak."

"Are you alright?" Jack asked. Yusei nodded. "What were you thinking? Suddenly going into the Underworld alone!"

"I was thinking about getting to Era as fast as possible," Yusei responded.

"Like I said, stubborn as a Belanchi," May responded.

"That's a good and bad thing sometimes," Era commented.

Yusei looked at her slightly worried. He led her to the couch where he got her to sit down. He slowly sat down beside her when she leaned into his chest.

"So what exactly happened, Era?" Bruno asked.

"I had caught up to Lazar and was about to confront him when a couple demons came and cut me off. They were extremely powerful demons, too. They reached to get me and I tried to fight back but I eventually had to run because they were too powerful at the time. But they chased me for a while until I found somewhere to hide. They passed by my hiding spot and I had thought I lost them when they grabbed me. After that, they through me into a Demon Cage and brought it to the room where Primo and Brehnam came," Era explained. "At one point, they came in arguing about something."

"What?" Yusei asked.

"Brehnam didn't want Primo to activate the self-destruct sequence that he did as he wanted you to find me. But Primo didn't want you to find out about his plans," Era paused for a moment nervous.

"What plans?" Crow asked.

"He's going to create more Ghosts and used the program we made to make them," Era explained.

"Make more Ghosts?!" Jack exclaimed.

"Please tell me this is some sick joke," Crow stated but Era shook her head.

"But I was confused by what Primo said Brehnam threatened to tell Jakob and Lester early," Era responded and they looked at her with eyes prodding for more information. "He said he couldn't be possessed."

"But the only things that can't be possessed are…" May trailed off.

"Robots," Yusei realized.

"But I don't know how. He could think and act like a human. So it doesn't make sense. And if he really is a robot, does that mean the other two are as well?" Era wondered.

"We'll worry about that once you recover," Yusei told her. She looked at him. "But we'll figure it out and stop it."

"Yusei's right. We'll stop them and this Ghost army. We've beaten the Dark Signers and the King of the Underworld, after all," Crow responded. "But you need to rest and stop trying to go on your own. You need to let us help you too."

"But… I don't want you to be put in danger," Era retorted gently.

"I don't care about the danger. I promised the Crimson Dragon I would protect you at all costs and I'm keeping that promise," Yusei stated.

"And besides, I owe you one after all the help you did. Just helping you get out of the Underworld isn't enough for all the help you gave me, in my opinion," May stated. "Plus, you hold our lord's heart and power inside you. As a subject to him, I have to protect you just as much."

"And we're your friends. And friends help each other," Crow stated.

"Right," Jack agreed. Era groaned in defeat.

"It'll be alright, Era," Yusei responded holding her closer and a bit tighter. Era gave a slow nod. "You need some rest. I'll take you to the bed for now. Alright?"

"Alright," Era agreed, still too weak to argue too much more.

Yusei helped her up and held her to him as he walked to his room.

Jack asked May, "Think she'll be alright?"

"Yeah. Era's tough. She has been around for over a hundred years. Angels are just able to get physically weak easily. But mentally, Era's too tough for that to weaken her," May explained. "And with Yusei by her side, I think she'll always be strong."

"Yeah," Crow agreed but none of the humans seemed completely convinced.

. . .

Yusei lied Era down and pulled the covers over her. He sat next to her and just stared into her eyes.

"Get some rest, Era," he told her gently. He began to stand up when Era grabbed his hand. He looked at her once and could tell what she was thinking by the slight fear and wanting in her eyes. He sat back beside her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'll stay right here, Era. Is that okay?"

"Just don't leave," Era told him. "And Yusei, Brehnam told me that we're…"

Yusei finished for her, "Mates?" She looked at him shocked. "May told me in the Underworld, right before I got into the room you were locked down in."

"If I had known, maybe I could've…" she began but Yusei cut her off.

"Era, I don't care that we're mates now. It just means I'll have you with me forever," he told her with a soft grin at the end.

She looked down a bit. "But I don't want to tie you down like that," she responded. "Especially when we've only been dating for just under a year. How do we know if we truly want that for a fact?"

"Because if I wasn't sure I didn't want to be with you until a demon killed me, I wouldn't have become an angel. And if I wasn't sure I loved you and wanted to protect you with everything I have, I probably wouldn't have subconsciously wrapped my wings around you, would I?" Yusei replied. Era just looked at him slowly. "I'll protect you and keep you safe, Era. I promise I'll never let you go. Can you trust me with that?"

"Yes," Era answered.

Yusei gave her a kiss on her forehead before slowly pulling back to look into her eyes and say, "Get some rest, Era. We'll worry about everything else once you're back to normal and can work properly. I'll stay right here, okay? I won't leave you." Era nodded and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she was asleep. He lightly caressed her face making her give a small grin in contentment in her sleep. "I'll be right here when you wake up and I'll always be by your side."

Yusei looked outside at the setting sun. _'And I'll do anything I have to in order to keep Brehnam away from you. If I have to, I'll kill Brehnam just like any other demon,'_ he thought with a determined face.


	26. The Mother and Child

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 26: The Mother and Child

Era's POV

It had been two weeks since I was taken to the Underworld and I was back to full health. But Yusei refused to let me go anywhere alone. And now that he had his locket, I knew there was no hiding from him. He had also grown all the more protective of me which annoyed me quite a bit. And then there was the issue of us being mates which I still didn't know how Yusei was okay with it so easily.

At the moment, Yusei and I were flying our rounds through the nightly air. We were silent the whole time and the silence was uncomfortable. And I knew it was because of how tense I was.

"Era, are you alright?" Yusei asked pulling me to a hover.

"Huh?" I replied looking at him.

"You've been tense all night. Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I…" I began but stopped, not sure where to go.

"You're still worried about us being mates, aren't you?" Yusei suggested and I looked at him. I couldn't believe he read me so well. "Era, I know you better than anyone. And I know you don't like us being mates so quickly. But why don't you like that?"

"It… It just doesn't feel right," I replied slowly. Yusei grabbed my hand gently while I looked down. "I mean, I do love you and want you to be with me forever but… it was so sudden and so quick. We didn't even get to really think about it. Doesn't that feel wrong to you?"

"I guess it does a bit. But it's not so much that I let myself mind it. Because I'm somewhat happy to know I'll have you with me forever," he answered. I looked at him shocked. He gave me a small, comforting smile.

Before I knew anything else, Yusei's lips were on mine and I nearly stopped flapping my wings as the rush of emotions washed over my body. It felt so right to have him beside me like this. And his kiss made me forget everything. But it wasn't long before he pulled back and just looked at me with kind, loving eyes that he only gave me.

"Come on," Yusei called, gently pulling at my hand. "We still have the rest of the night to scout." I grinned and followed him, Yusei keeping hold of my hand as he flew.

. . .

The next day, Zora stood outside the garage, watching something. We walked outside to check on her.

"Hey, Zora, why are you so upset?" Crow asked.

"Oh, be quiet!" Zora yelled.

"What's troubling you?" Yusei asked calmly.

Zora sighed. "The town committee has decided they'll be replacing the cuckoo clock that I've cherished," she explained.

They looked at it and Crow mentioned, "It isn't moving."

"Don't remind me of that!" Zora yelled.

"That's pretty awful. To lose something you care about," I stated.

"Yes, indeed," Zora agreed.

"Why is Zora being so mean to me?" I heard Crow mumble.

"My son is coming to visit, but we're in an argument," Zora stated. She then covered Crow's ears and yelled, "You know!" Everyone couldn't help but laugh at it.

Zora stalked inside, leaving us to return to working on the duel runners. After a bit of working on them, I heard someone open the door.

"Nice duel runners," a man complimented.

We looked up to see him standing in the doorway. "Aren't you Zora's son?" I asked.

"Yep," he replied. "My name is Lyndon. I set out three years ago to study clocks and just returned to repair the broken one here."

"Your actions were the worst," Crow stated.

"He's the worst," Jack corrected.

"Did you leave in order to train yourself?" Akiza asked.

"Yep," Lyndon answered.

"You should probably apologize to Zora, Lyndon," I told him gently. "Try to make things right again." Lyndon seemed hesitant.

"Would Zora fight with her son again?" I heard Akiza wonder aloud.

"Yeah," Lyndon replied.

"The stronger your bonds are with your parents, the harder it is to get words across," Akiza added. The boy grabbed her hands and shook them in agreement to her statement.

Yusei grabbed Lyndon and pulled him away. "You should probably get to work fixing the clock," he told him.

"Yeah," Crow agreed. "The old clock is going to be replaced."

Lyndon immediately dashed to fix the clock. Akiza called, though, stopping him, "You need to change into something better."

. . .

Yusei, Jack, and I followed Akiza as she led Lyndon to a tuxedo store. She got Lyndon to dress in a tuxedo while I watched from the side.

"Wouldn't you be helping Akiza with this?" Jack asked me.

I looked at him while Yusei stared at me as well. "No," I answered. "I'm not very skilled in clothing like this. I don't wear anything fancy except my angel attire which is as about as fancy as you'll get me in."

Jack scoffed. "Would've expected a girl to want to get into an actual dress more often," he stated.

"Jack, don't go there," I retorted sternly. I noticed Yusei struggling to not glare at Jack so I told my mate in Angelic, _"Calm down, Yusei. Jack's just frustrated about having to try to get Lyndon, someone who practically abandoned Zora, to make up with him."_

" _I know,"_ he responded calmly but gave a slight grin.

"What're you talking about?" Jack asked.

"Nothing," I answered. Jack glared in annoyance before turning back to Lyndon.

Lyndon began to have a bit of trouble with his tie so Jack walked over. He grabbed the end of it and pulled on it tightly before Akiza stopped him.

"I'll do it," she stated and successfully, and easily, tied it in place.

"How did you learn to tie those things?" Yusei asked.

"My father needs to tie his tie every morning. So I got used to it," Akiza answered.

"You did that a lot when you were young too, right Akiza?" I responded.

Akiza grinned and agreed with, "Right."

"Well, now that that's done, why don't we get you to your mother?" I suggested kindly.

"Yeah," Lyndon agreed and we left. He asked us to stay outside while he confronted his mother.

We waited outside the door, just out of view, as his mother saw him, clearly shocked by his presence.

"Mom, I came back to fix the clock tower for you," Lyndon told Zora.

"Is this how Lyndon was supposed to apologize to his mother?" Jack wondered.

"Easy, Jack," I told him.

But just as Lyndon finished explaining why he left and why he came back, Zora picked up a chair and threw it at him. The son tripped but, thankfully, wasn't hit by the chair.

"It was you who broke the clock!" Zora yelled.

Crow came up and asked, "What happened?"

Lyndon explained everything and Yusei asked me in a whisper, "Did you know?"

"Maybe," I replied looking down a bit.

"And you didn't warn us?" he responded, frowning.

"I didn't think it mattered at this point. It was so long ago," I retorted sternly.

We were brought back to the situation at hand when Zora asked Lyndon, "Do you even have the courage to fix the clock?" Her son looked down doubtful. Lyndon turned to leave again but Crow stepped in front of him.

"You can't run away, Lyndon. How about a duel? If I win, you have to apologize to your mother and fix the clock. But if you win, you can do whatever you please," Crow challenged.

"Fine," Lyndon agreed.

They each grabbed their decks and duel disks. I paid close attention to Crow's mind as I knew he was going to pull something.

Lyndon went first and drew his card. "I summon Monster Clock (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode. That's all for now," he declared.

Crow drew. "I summon Blackwing- Fane the Steel Chain (Attack 500/ Defense 800) in attack mode. And since I control a Blackwing, I can special summon Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind (Attack 1300/ Defense 400) from my hand in attack mode. Now Gale the Whirlwind, attack his Monster Clock!" he ordered.

"I activate the effect of Monster Clock! When this card is selected as an attack target, I can equip it with the attacking monster and increase its attack equal to the attack monster (Monster Clock: Attack 1300)!" Lyndon defended.

"Well, Fane the Steel Chain can attack you directly with its own effect," Crow stated and his monster successfully dealt damage dropping Lyndon's life points to 3500. "I end my turn there."

Lyndon drew his card and declared, "I summon Clock Knight No. 12 (Attack 1200/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. Now since I control a Clock Knight, I can activate the spell Clockwork to special summon Clock Knight No. 3 (Attack 300/ Defense 300) in attack mode, since its level is lower than Clock Knight No. 12. And then I activate the effect of Clock Knight No. 12 to flip a coin. If it lands on a Heads, Clock Knight No. 12 gains 1200 attack points for one turn. But if it lands on a Tails, Clock Knight No. 12 is destroyed." The coin flipped to a Tails but he defended his monster, "I activate the second effect of Clock Knight No. 3 to toss the coin again!" The coin landed on Heads this time increasing Clock Knight No. 12's attack to 2400. "And now I activate the first effect of Clock Knight No. 3 to flip another coin. If it lands on Heads, Clock Knight No. 3 gains 1200 attack points for one turn, but if it lands on tails, Clock Knight No. 3 will be destroyed." It landed on Heads jumping the monster's attack to 1500. "Clock Knight No. 12, attack his Blackwing- Fane the Steel Chain!" The attack destroyed Crow's only monster and dropped Crow's attack to 2100. "Now Clock Knight No. 3, attack Crow directly!"

"I activate the effect of Blackwing- Ghibli the Searing Wind (Attack 0/ Defense 1600) to special summon it from my hand in defense mode," Crow defended. Lyndon chose not to attack again and finished his turn. And due to it being the end phase, both Clock Knights' attacks returned to a normal 1200 and 300 points.

Crow drew his card to begin to his turn. "I set one card face down."

' _Mirror Force? We'll see if Crow actually decides to use it, with what he's thinking at the moment,'_ I thought.

"Then I normal summon Blackwing- Blizzard the Far North (Attack 1300/ Defense 0) in attack mode and activate its effect. This allows me to revive my Blackwing- Fane the Steel Chain (Attack 500/ Defense 800) in defense mode," Crow declared. "Now I tune Fane the Steel Chain and Ghibli the Searing Wind with Blizzard the Far North to synchro summon. Rise up, Blackwing Armor Master (Attack 2500/ Defense 1500)! Blackwing Armor Master, attack Clock Knight No. 3!" The attack succeeded and Lyndon's life points fell to 1300. "I end my turn."

"I think I'll forfeit," Lyndon stated in defeat.

"You better not forfeit," Crow retorted. "You need to see every duel to the end. Do you really want to give up in front of Zora?"

Lyndon looked at him shocked. He then grew a determined face and answered, "No, I don't." He drew his card.

I then whispered in Yusei in Angelic, _"Yusei, are you listening to what Crow's thinking?"_

" _Yeah,"_ he answered. _"It's a bit weird for him. But I know he's trying to help Lyndon."_

" _Honestly, with our group of friends, I don't think anything can be defined as normal,"_ I responded making Yusei flash me a smile for less than a second.

"I summon Time Wizard (Attack 500/ Defense 400) in attack mode and activate its effect. Now I get to toss a coin and if I call it right, I can destroy your monster," Lyndon played and called his guess. It turned out as correct and Crow's only monster was destroyed. "Monster Clock and Clock Knight No. 12, attack him directly!" The attacks went through and I listened to Crow's thoughts as he decided not to use Mirror Force, which would have given him the advantage and won him the duel. But since he didn't use it, the attacks hit and Crow's life points fell to zero.

"Nice duel, Lyndon," Crow stated.

Lyndon turned to walk away but I stopped him by saying, "Lyndon, Crow was the real one who won this duel." He looked at me. "Crow could've used his set Mirror Force to destroy your monsters and the cards in his hand would've given him the edge to win. But he didn't. Instead, he lost so he could show you something."

"And what was that?" Lyndon asked.

"That even when you mess up, you can still win," Yusei chimed in. Lyndon looked shocked.

"Crow showed you that because you messed up in the past and you were running away from it. You were thinking that you were losing to it," I told him. "But losing to the past is something you should never do." She looked at Zora for a moment who was in a state of shock. "Locking yourself to the past of which separated you from someone is something that is the same to separating yourself. You messed up when you broke the clock, but now it's the future and that time has passed into history. Now you can fix it and amend things with your mother. Who I know deep down, she wants to end this long lasting fight."

Lyndon looked down in thought along with Zora. Slowly, they looked at each other and nodded.

"I think Era is right," Zora stated. "This fight has gone on long enough. It is true that I don't like this separation that occurred so long ago. After all those years of happiness."

"I'll fix the clock like I told you I would," Lyndon stated. He looked at me. "You're right, Era. Running away from the past is something I've done too long. And it's something I need to change in myself, to have myself look more towards the future."

I nodded with a small smile. "Good to hear," I told him and he grinned.

We all went inside for a while to hang out while Lyndon fixed the clock.

Once we were inside, Yusei pulled me aside and gave me a grin. He then said, _"You truly know how to help people through their problems."_

" _After over a hundred years of living, you tend to learn these things, Yusei,"_ I responded. _"Something you'll come to know yourself."_ I looked down a bit.

" _What's bothering you now?"_ Yusei asked.

" _I'll talk to you about it when not as many people are around,"_ I answered. Just then Lyndon came in and said it was done. Yusei sighed in defeat but nodded in acceptance.

" _When we find the time, we'll head to the Infinity Tower so you can tell me. Alright?"_ he suggested.

" _Alright,"_ I agreed and we turned back to the current events at hand.


	27. The One Fear

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 27: The One Fear

Era's POV

Yusei and I were flying around the skies late the next night.

"Am I the only one worried at the fact we haven't even sensed a demon since you got me out of the Underworld?" I asked Yusei.

"I know," he replied. "I don't like it either. It doesn't seem right. I had thought Brehnam would send any demon he could to get us."

"Let's take a quick rest on the top of the Infinity Tower," I suggested. "Sound good?"

"Yeah," Yusei answered. Though there was something in his voice that I couldn't place.

Once we landed, Yusei sat down, sighing with the same weird feeling in his voice, and I asked sternly, "Alright, what's wrong?" Yusei looked at me shocked. "Who's known you since you were a baby, Yusei? I know when something's wrong and I can tell. So spill it."

"You just haven't told me what was wrong with you just before Lyndon finished fixing the clock," Yusei replied. "I'm worried about it, that's all." I looked down. I had wanted to tell him, but I just didn't have the courage to let out the bothering question. "What is bothering you, Era?" Yusei grabbed my hand and gently pulled me down beside him, keeping me close.

"It's just… a question that I don't know how to ask exactly," I answered vaguely.

"You can tell me anything," he responded. "You know that."

"I know I can. It's just…" I stopped. Yusei pulled me a bit closer. I sighed. "Yusei, what would you do if I died before you did?"

I felt him tense and he immediately turned me turn him. "Why would you even ask that?" he asked. His eyes held pure concern and shock in them.

I looked down. "I'm… just worried about what you would do," I answered. "What would you do? Honestly."

Yusei was silent for a few minutes and I knew he was worried. "I… I'm not really sure, Era," he answered and I could tell him was being honest. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you." He slowly brought me in tight to the point where my head was against his heart. "But I promise, as long as I'm alive, I'm not going to let you die." He tightened his grip. "I'll be the one to die first. And it'll only be because I was protecting you."

"Yusei, you can't die like that. I couldn't live without you," I stated gripping onto him and tucking my face into his shoulder. I was struggling to keep my voice calm and steady while I struggled to contain my emotions.

"Era…" he whispered into my ear. "What do you think you would do if I died?"

"I…" I stopped. "I wouldn't be able to go on without you at this point, Yusei. If you died before me, I'm not entirely sure I would, but… I would probably end up killing myself."

"Era, you better never do that," Yusei retorted. "I know you. You wouldn't give up like that. You would just die because you lost someone you care about."

"Why do you think it was said angels died because they were protecting something they were attached to?" I responded as tears were beginning to break free. "And I love you too much to see you leave without me."

"You won't lose me, Era. I'll make sure of it. Just don't make me lose you either," Yusei responded.

"I'll… try not to," I told him. "As long as I don't lose you, I won't make you lose me."

"Good," Yusei responded. He slowly kissed my right temple to comfort me which worked. "Because my biggest fear is losing you." I looked at him slowly, shock on my face. "There's a reason why my body naturally made us mates, Era. And it's because I love you to the point that I'm afraid of losing you. Because I will protect you by any means necessary."

I lightly placed my lips to his, but he brought me as long as possible deepening the kiss. I eventually pulled back to breathe and say, "I love you, too, Yusei." I set my head back on his chest. "I can never lose you. I'm your mate for that reason too."

I felt a spike of darkness and we stood up alert. I scanned the area for where the darkness was. When I located it, Yusei gave a groan of pain. I flipped behind us to see Brehnam flying off and disappearing into the Underworld.

Yusei fell to one knee and grabbed his shoulder. I gently pulled his hand off to get a look at it and saw it. A black, purple glowing crystal was embedded in his shoulder, and I knew what it was. An Underworld Curse Gem. I had been hit with it before and had it not been for the Healer Angels in the Afterlife, I would've died.

"Yusei, hold still," I ordered.

Before he could respond, I grabbed the dark gem and yanked it out. Yusei groaned and panted. I immediately threw the Underworld Curse away as it burned my hand. The gem evaporated once it was done skidding across the top of the Infinity Tower.

"What… was it?" Yusei asked still sounding in serious pain.

"An Underworld Curse Gem," I answered. I looked to see the skin around where the puncture wound had a black and purple glowing vein design around it. "I had gotten hit by one twenty years ago and almost didn't make it." He looked at me confused. "An Underworld Curse Gem is basically a way to transfer a deadly darkness infection to an angel. It starts out small but slowly grows throughout the body. Once it reaches both your heart and mind, it kills you. And it's extremely painful."

"How did you survive it?" Yusei asked.

"An extremely experienced Healer Angel who had dealt with a couple other Underworld Curse Gems before used a powerful spell to get it out of my system and save me," I explained. "I had to be put under because of how painful the process would be. But… Izoa had killed her when he took over the Afterlife." I looked down. "And I don't know any other Healer Angels who know the spell and can save you."

"We'll find a way, Era," Yusei told me. "I promise. Maybe you can talk to Myla and Cornelia. Combat Angels don't know most of the complex spells that Healer Angels know. Maybe they know the spell and you were never told."

"Maybe," I agreed but I was doubtful, and I knew it was obvious.

Yusei wrapped his arms around me, and I could tell he was ignoring the pain. "Until we have the chance to get to Cornelia and Myla and talk to them, you can just use an antibiotic spell and pain relief spell. I'll be fine," he told me.

"How… can you be so sure?" I asked nervous.

"Because I just promised you that you would never lose me," he answered. "And that's one promise I'm not going to break. So trust me to keep that promise."

"I trust you," I replied. I slowly used a pain relief spell followed by an antibiotic spell. Yusei relaxed a bit. I looked down in worry, wishing more than anything I could do more.

"Don't worry, Era," Yusei whispered. He slowly brought my face back up to meet his. "I'll make it through this. You won't lose me anytime soon."

I nodded. I sensed around for anymore darkness and noticed the sun beginning to climb. "Let's get back and get some rest. You'll need it to fight the infection better," I told him. Yusei nodded and we took off with me sticking close to Yusei.

As soon as Yusei fell asleep, I used my locket to send a communication to Myla about the situation. She immediately responded saying that as soon as she and Cornelia find their freedom, which they would try to make as soon as possible, they would hurry over to check it out. But I was worried that by the time they arrived, it would be too late.


	28. The Sundown Duel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 28: The Sundown Duel

Era's POV

I slowly woke up in Yusei's hold again. I was still surprised at how calm and accepting he was to the idea that we were mates. I didn't want to lock him down like that. But I knew that it couldn't be changed, no matter how much I wish we could've been given the option for longer. We hadn't even told the others yet.

I used a phase through spell to get out of Yusei's hold without waking him up. He needed to rest with his infection from the Underworld Curse Gem.

I walked into the living room and noticed a note on his desk. I walked to it and unraveled the folds to read it.

" _ **I have heard of you and your girlfriend's friendship with him, Yusei Fudo. I want you to take him away from this town, as he'll surely die here. Signed, Barbara**_ ," it read. On the very bottom was coordinates to a town called Crash Town.

' _Kalin,'_ I thought. I turned to look towards where Yusei's room stood. _'I'll go help Kalin. Yusei doesn't need to come to this. After all, I need to protect him and his friends.'_ I hid the note so Yusei wouldn't come and walked out of the garage, changing into my angel form before taking to the air.

. . .

I flew through a desert area, using my power to help me pinpoint the coordinates. I suddenly felt some darkness from below me and I landed on a cliff and changed into my human form for safety.

I went to the edge of a cliff and saw two men chasing after what appeared to be three escaped prisoners with collars on their necks. But the prisoners had a lot of grief, remorse, fear, and guilt darkness within them. The two chasing them had fear, selfishness, loneliness, and guilt.

But even with these types of darkness within them, none of them had a demon, relieving me. One of the prisoners with the least darkness controlling his heart threw a pendent up to the cliff next to me. _'What's going on here?'_ I thought.

And the darkness in the chasers placed a card on their duel disks and a Taser function on the runaways' collars activated shocking them. I tensed as the prisoners collapsed.

"What're you doing?!" I called down to the two men.

They turned to me. "We're simply taking these men back to the mine," one replied.

"You seem like a duelist. Even though you're a girl, Crash Town might welcome you and you could get much work done," the second told me.

The two men then departed with the now-unconscious prisoners. I picked up the man's pendant and looked at it carefully.

' _I didn't come here for work,'_ I thought. _'I came here to save Kalin. I should better head to the town to get an idea of what's happening here.'_

I took off again as an angel and landed just outside of town, switching back into human form. I created a duel disk on my arm to fit in the best I could and not get any questioning. I didn't like the amount of darkness surrounding this place. I began to walk towards the town when three men dressed in the same outfits as the ones chasing the three before approached me.

"Hey, girlie," one created. "Get out your deck. It's time to duel."

"I only duel duelists," I responded.

The men surrounded me. "Insults like that will only get you to Hell quicker," one retorted.

I rolled my eyes in boredom confusing them a bit. But I still agreed, "Alright. If you want to duel…" I was cut off by a woman coming up.

"Stop right there," she called smacking a whip down. "Do I need to remind you? Dueling before sundown is violation of Crash Town's rules." She turned to me. "My name's Barbara. I was the one who wrote Yusei the letter but I'm guessing you came in his place?"

"Yep," I answered.

"Follow me," she instructed and I did so while the other duelists walked off. It was nearing sundown by the time we stopped and sat down on a cliff overlooking the town.

"So what exactly is going on here?" I asked.

"The time that the town's true troubles comes at sunset," she began to explain. We turned as two gangs entered the town from opposite directions. "The group with the red scarves is the Malcolm Ground, led by Malcolm. The other group is the Ramon Group, led by Radley."

"What's going to happen?" I asked.

"Just watch and see," Barbara told me.

"Sensei!" Malcolm called. A large man with a circular marker walked up.

"Who will I be teaching a lesson to?" the man asked.

"Everyone talks big before a duel starts, not knowing that those words will be there last," Radley told him. "How about my group's sensei?"

I looked to their side in the distance as someone played a harmonica. I went wide eyed to see Kalin walking up.

"This town's duel time is at sunset. By the time the sun finishes setting, one of the two duelists will vanish," Barbara told me.

"What do you mean by 'vanish'?" I asked.

"Watch," she replied as the residents of the surrounding building began to pour out to watch the duel.

' _If when they lose they become prisoners in those mines I heard about, how could anyone watch this happily or be okay with it?'_ I thought thinking on the reasoning for Barbara's term of "vanish".

I looked as two men dressed as undertakers came up, riding a horse-drawn carriage. Both Kalin and Sensei reached for the duel disks, which resembled a Colt revolver in my opinion, as the crowd yelled, "Duel!"

Kalin activated his first. Barbara began to explain to me, "Whoever draws their duel disk and hand first will take the first turn."

Kalin drew his card. "I summon Infernity Mirage (Attack 0/ Defense 0) and set one card face down," he declared. He didn't sound confident or have any emotion other then defeat. And defeat was the only sound in his voice.

"Kalin seems different," I said. "His drive to duel doesn't seem there anymore."

"Kalin came to this town looking for a place to die," Barbara told me, and that shocked me. She pointed to the mountain. "In that mountain is a mineral called dyne. It's used in the construction of duel runners. People rushed to the town to make money from mining dyne. Malcolm and Radley were in charge of the mining operation. They eventually started to use dueling to gather more miners. If one wins duels here, they stand to make much money. But the losers are sent to the mountain. Many great duelists were tempted by the riches and ended up in the mines after losing."

"That sounds wrong on all levels," I stated. I looked at Radley and Malcolm. _'They don't have a demon in them yet. But I wouldn't doubt they're under the influence of greed and fear into one. With all this darkness, it won't be long before demons get the smell of it and start taking down this town,'_ I thought. _'I can't let that happen.'_

Barbara then said, taking me out of my thoughts, "I know it does sometimes. But it's the way things are now. I don't think it'll ever change."

"Everything has the ability to change to the light. No matter how dim the chance may seem," I responded.

"How sure are you of that?" she asked me.

"One hundred percent," I answered bluntly. She stared at me for a moment before we returned to the duel.

"I summon Illegal Keeper (Attack 1300/ Defense 1300) in attack mode," Malcolm's Sensei declared. "I activate Card Destruction!"

"I activate my face down, Full Salvo! This sends my hand to the graveyard and inflicts 200 points of damage to you for each card sent," Kalin defended and Sensei's life points dropped to 3200.

"Kalin's ultimate strength is when he has no hand," I stated. "That sensei should be ready for anything."

"I activate the effect of Infernity Mirage! By tributing it, I can special summon two Infernity monsters from my graveyard," Kalin fought. "So I summon Infernity Archfiend (Attack 1800/ Defense 1200) and Infernity Destroyer (Attack 2300/ Defense 1000) in attack mode."

"I end my turn," Sensei finished.

Kalin drew his card. "I activate Infernity Burst! This inflicts 800 points of damage at you for each Infernity monster I control," he declared and Sensei's life points dropped to 1600. "Infernity Destroy, attack Illegal Keeper!" The attack destroyed his opponent's monster and dropped the other to 600 life points. "And now since Infernity Destroyer destroyed you monster and sent it to the graveyard while I have no cards in my hand, I can activate its effect to send 1600 points of damage at you." The attack hit and won Kalin the duel.

I watched as Malcolm's sensei tried to run, but the undertakers lassoed Kalin's fleeing opponent. I had to force myself not to budge and try to protect the man. As much as I wanted to, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea yet.

' _I'll save all the miners,'_ I thought as they stuff the large man into a casket in the back of the wagon and took him to the mountains.

I then realized something. "Those three prisoners I saw earlier were running from the mines," I muttered.

"Kalin is trying to kill himself using this town," Barbara stated.

"Then why doesn't Kalin just lose on purpose?" I asked.

"I don't know the answer for that," she replied.

"That's Kalin's fiftieth win in a row," Radley stated.

"You'll both be going to the mountains next time," Malcolm told Radley. Both groups left.

I walked into town as Kalin began his trek away from me, not noticing I was there. "Kalin," I called and he stopped. He looked at me over his shoulder. "You don't need to punish yourself for anything."

"Yes I do," he responded and walked off again leaving me to sigh.

Barbara walked up. "Why don't you try to talk to him through a duel?" she suggested. "But you'll have to join Malcolm's group to do so."

I looked down to think about my options. I then looked up at her. "Alright, fine," I agreed. "Where can I find Malcolm?"

"He's at his villa," she responded. "I'll show you."

I nodded and followed her.


	29. The Hiring Duel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 29: The Hiring Duel

When we arrived, she gave me revolver like duel disk and left me before I entered. Malcolm said as I began my approach, "If Lawton was still here, Kalin would be nothing and be defeated with one attack."

"I'm looking for work here," I told him.

The three thugs from earlier approached me. "You're that girl from before," she stated.

"Alright, I'll hire you. If you prove yourself by defeating these three," Malcolm agreed.

I nodded and we drew our cards. "If you don't mind, ladies first," I called and drew my card.

"I summon Angel's Shield (Attack 700/ Defense 1300) in defense mode and set two face downs," I declared. "That ends my turn."

The first thug drew his card to begin his turn. "I summon Fuse Ray Blaster (Attack 1600/ Defense 800) in attack mode. But I can't attack on the first turn because it's a battle royal."

The second thug began his turn, "I also summon Fuse Ray Blaster."

"That activates the effect of my first, which inflicts 800 points of damage at you," the first thug stated and my life points fell to 3200.

"I end my turn," the second thug finished.

The third thug drew his card. "I summon another Fuse Ray Blaster to deal you 1600 points of damage," he declared and my life points fell to 1600.

"There are more than enough bullets remaining," one of the thugs said. "Give up, girlie."

"I have some things I need to take care of here," I told them. "And don't think I'm one to give up. After all my time on this planet, there's one thing I've learned. You have to keep fighting no matter the situation. So I'll stay here all night dueling if it takes that long."

"You know, there are no girl duelists around here. You'll be all alone," Malcolm responded.

"Dueling is dueling. I don't care if I'm the only girl," I retorted and drew my card to begin my turn. "I summon Angel Monk (Attack 1500/ Defense 2600) in defense mode. Now when Angel Monk is in defense mode, I can draw two cards from my deck. If one is a monster card, I can summon it in attack mode though it can't attack this turn." I drew my cards and looked at them. "I summon Angelic Coach (Attack 1500/ Defense 1500) in attack mode. But she won't be around for long. I tune Angel's Shield with Angelic Coach to synchro summon. Rise from the light, Angelic Light Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 2700)!" My dragon roared in pride and they looked at it in awe. "And since Angelic Coach was used to synchro summon, Angelic Light Dragon gains 1000 attack and defense points (Angelic Light Dragon: Attack 3800/ Defense 3700). Now I activate its effect for each one of you. This allows me to destroy up to two of your monsters and deal you damage equal to their combined attack points. But I'm going to use this ability for each one of your monsters giving dropping each of you to 2400." The assault succeeded and they're life points dropped to my saying. I then ordered Angelic Light Dragon to attack the first thug who fell onto his back in defeat. "Then I activate The Extra Light! By discarding one card from my hand, I can special summon one light synchro monster from my extra deck in attack mode. So I summon forth, Angel Demon Striker (Attack 2500/ Defense 2800) in attack mode. Angel Demon Striker, attack the second thug directly!" The attack succeeded and his fell to the ground. "Then I activate Circle of Light! I can double one light attributed synchro monster's attack points and allow it to attack again!"

"Huh?!" the third thug exclaimed.

"So I target Angel Demon Striker for its effect (Angel Demon Striker: Attack 5000)! Angel Demon Striker, attack the last one directly!" I ordered and the attack dropped the final thug to 0. I set the duel disk back in its holster and said, "Even girls can duel."

"Can I hire you to defeat Kalin?" Malcolm asked.

"I was hoping you would ask me that," I replied, keeping my face emotionless.

Third Person POV

Akiza, Bruno, Crow, Jack, Yusei, and the twins were out searching for Era. Yusei was worried since they had been searching all day and they couldn't locate the angel.

" _Where did she run off to this time?"_ Crow wondered.

" _I don't know, but I'm planning on finding out. And when I do, I'm going to talk to her about doing this,"_ Yusei replied.

" _Doesn't she get the rules of your promise to the Crimson Dragon?"_ Jack asked.

" _But she also probably left on her own to keep the promise to Yusei's father, Jack,"_ Akiza reminded them.

" _That doesn't matter at the moment,"_ Yusei responded. _"I made a promise to our lord and I'm not planning on breaking it any time soon. So I'm not stopping until I find her."_

" _Let head to the garage,"_ Luna suggested. _"Maybe she left a note or something that we just didn't notice."_

" _Maybe,"_ he agreed.

" _Don't worry, Yusei. We'll find her,"_ Akiza reassured.

" _I know,"_ he responded.

They arrived back at the garage and began to look. Yusei walked passed the desk and noticed something. The drawer was open the slightest bit and he knew he had closed it. He opened it and saw a crinkled up piece of paper. He read it.

"Find something, Yusei?" Crow asked.

"Yeah, and I'm going to get Era," he stated and ran out with the note in hand. He flew into the air before the others could say another word.

. . .

Malcolm called as it reached sunset, "Come meet my sensei." Era stepped up.

"A girl? You must really be desperate," Radley mocked, laughing.

"You would be surprised how strong a girl can be, Radley," Era told him making him stop laughing and look at her curiously.

"Well, you'll still be beat by Kalin," Radley responded.

Kalin walked up. "So I see you again. It's been a long time. Have you come here to help me punish myself?" he asked.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Malcolm asked, shocked along with the rest of the surrounding people.

"Kalin and I go a long ways. I would protect him, Jack Atlas, Crow Hogan, and Yusei Fudo while they lived in the Satellite. I tried to help Kalin when he was going too far but he wouldn't listen," Era explained. "Protecting people is my job and I won't be done with this job until the end of my life. So Kalin, I'm going to help and protect you just as I did all those years ago. And I'll protect this town as well."


	30. The Protector and the Protected

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 30: The Protector and the Protected

Era's POV

"I came to help you, Kalin," I told him.

"I have forgotten what 'satisfaction' is," Kalin responded coldly. We drew our hands and Kalin got to go first. He drew his card. "I summon Infernity Randomizer (Attack 900/ Defense 0) in attack mode. I set one face down and end my turn."

I drew my card. "I summon Angel Monk (Attack 1500/ Defense 2600) in attack mode. Then I equip Angel Monk with Halo Ring, which gives Angel Monk 1000 more attack and defense points (Angel Monk: Attack 2500/ Defense 3600). Now Angel Monk, attack Infernity Randomizer!" I ordered and the attack hit and destroyed Kalin's monster while dropping Kalin's life points to 2400.

"I activate Infernity Reflector! Since an Infernity monster was destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, I can revive Infernity Randomizer and inflict 1000 points of damage at you as long as I send my entire hand to the graveyard," Kalin fought and his monster returned to the field while my life points fell to 3000.

"I set a face down and end my turn," I finished.

Kalin drew a card. "I set a card face down and then activate Infernity Randomizer's effect. This forces me to draw a card and send it to the graveyard. If the card drawn and sent is a monster, you'll take damage equal to its level times 200. If it's a spell or trap, I will take 500 points of damage." He drew and sent Infernity Destroyer, which is a level six, and dropped my life points to 1800. "I end my turn there."

I drew my card to begin my turn.

Third Person POV

Yusei flew fast, picking up air currents to allow his wings to rest when he could. He soon saw the town in the distance and could feel the darkness coming from the people there. Once he got over the town, he hovered a good height above it and looked down.

He quickly noticed Era dueling and looked to see her opponent. _'Kalin?!'_ he thought. _'What's going on here?'_ He quickly turned to watching the duel.

"I summon Star Crystal Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 1000) in defense mode," Era played. "Now Angel Monk, attack Infernity Randomizer!" The attack succeeded yet again dropping Kalin's life points to 800.

"I activate Damage Gate! Since I took battle damage, I can special summon Infernity Beetle (Attack 1200/ Defense 0) in attack position as it has equal or less attack to the damage I took," Kalin played.

"Kalin, why are you trying to kill yourself like this? Is it because of the Earthbound Immortals?" Era asked. She could tell everyone was confused by the term "Earthbound Immortals".

"It is. After I let myself go off the deep end and let myself believe that you and Yusei betrayed me, I lost everything that was myself. I became lost in hate and I didn't care who I hurt. Whether it was physically like when you saved Yusei from the crash or emotionally by hurting Yusei through his worry of you and what I changed into," Kalin replied.

"Kalin, that was the Wicked Gods' fault," Era retorted. "Back then, you wanted to help Satellite and you felt Satellite was being hurt by Security. You didn't think what would happen and that's a mistake everyone makes. I've made that mistake at least once due to all my years on this planet. And then the Earthbound Immortals twisted you and your anger into something it wasn't. Kalin, there is light in you now and all you have to do and let go of that guilt. Because it wasn't your fault. I never blamed you and Yusei never has either. In fact, for a while, Yusei blamed himself for your death. Just let your light shine brighter and you can help this town instead of sending people to the mines. You can stop hurting yourself like this."

"Era…" Kalin muttered.

"Listen to me, Kalin," she ordered gently. "Listen to my words and let your light come back to this world again. It's there, Kalin. You just need to let it free."

"We'll see," Kalin responded. "Infernity Beetle, attack Star Crystal Dragon!"

"This duel is over, Kalin!" I called making everyone look at me. "I activate Light Shield! This negates your attack and if it was a non-light attributed monster that had its attack negated, you take 1000 points of damage. Sorry, Kalin. But maybe you'll be able to see what I mean now and let your light through." The blast hit Kalin and his life points fell to 0. Kalin fell to the ground in defeat.

Suddenly a duel runner appeared with a man getting off of it. "Lawton?!" Radley exclaimed.

"Well, it looks like it's not too late for me to duel," Lawton stated with a confident grin.

"I'm going to wipe that grin off your face!" Radley stated and they drew their hand to begin the duel.

Era backed up a bit to give them space. Lawton drew the fastest letting him go first. "I summon Gatling Ogre (Attack 800/ Defense 800) in attack mode and set five cards face down. Then I activate Gatling Ogre's effect. By sending all my set spell and traps to the graveyard, I can deal you 800 points of damage for each one send away," he declared. The attack was completed and Radley's life points fell to 0.

' _He's strong,'_ Era thought.

Suddenly, she heard an electric shot being sent at her and Era immediately put up a protective aura. It hit the aura and froze before falling to the ground as a dud.

"H-How did…?" Barbara wondered and everyone backed up a bit seeing her glowing body.

"Don't think you can backstab me too easily, Barbara," Era told her with her eyes closed. "I've lived too long to allow myself to be fooled so easily."

"But that doesn't explain how you stopped yourself from being electrocuted," Malcolm responded to Era.

"You see, I'm not exactly alive anymore," she told them and walked up to Kalin. Era began to heal him and he sat up. She also used a light recovery spell to bring the light up and make it a little brighter.

"Era?" he called.

"You're free from that moment of guilt, Kalin," she told him. "Now get out of here before you get hurt anymore."

Kalin gave a small nod and walked away. The undertakers tried to reach him but Era shot a spell burning the lasso to ashes.

"W-What are you?" Lawton asked.

Era sighed and slowly changed into her angel form. They were all blinded for a moment but when she was done transforming, they all gawked at her.

"I'm an angel," Era told him sternly. "I may look eighteen, but I've been on this planet for over one hundred years. I died long ago in a car crash. Don't expect to be able to fool me anytime soon."

"An… angel?" Barbara muttered.

Era turned as she heard Yusei walk up. "The next time you want to head off to something like this, let me tag along," he told Era sternly.

"Yusei Fudo?" Barbara questioned.

"Not putting you in this kind of danger, Yusei," I responded calmly still staring at everyone else.

"Keep doing this and I'll tie you down for a while," Yusei told her defiantly. "And don't think you would be able to do this again anymore."

Era rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she stated. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, I need to find a way to free everyone in those mines."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Lawton retorted.

We turned as the sun finished setting but a large, explosion was heard from the mountain and we looked towards it.

"Did I mention I talked to the others about what was happening and they came with Sector Security to help the miners?" Yusei stated.

"You what?!" Malcolm exclaimed.

"You won't be able to send any more people to the mines," Yusei replied.

"Will our dad really be freed?" called a girl's voice as she and a young boy ran up.

"If he's a miner, yeah," Yusei answered

"Thanks!" the boy told him.

Yusei gave a small nod and smile. He then turned serious again while we looked at Barbara, Malcolm, and Lawton who looked frustrated.

"This town has the ability to change to something better than it is now. Something good," Era said to everyone. "But it's up to you whether you really want the change or if you really want to keep the town in a sense of fear of being sent to the mines. And listen to what you want and not what others like Barbara, Malcolm, and Lawton want."

Everyone looked at each other before taking off their scarves and signature items to show they wanted the change. The only ones not doing so were Malcolm, Lawton, and Barbara.

"Good," Era said looking down relieved. She turned to look up as she heard a couple more shock blasts be fired at her to see two coming from Lawton. But she used another protective aura to protect her and Yusei while the bullets quickly fell to the ground as duds again. "Want to try again?"

Lawton and the two others backed up a bit. That's when Trudge, Crow, and Jack pulled up.

"Era, you need to stop running off on your own," Crow told me. She just shrugged in response making him groan.

"So who's the leaders of this who thing?" Trudge asked.

"Those three right there," I answered pointing to Lawton, Barbara, and Malcolm.

"What do you expect to do? Send us to the Facility for following the rules of this town?" Lawton asked.

"No, I'm sending you three to the Facility for the actions you've done to send these people to the mines and hurting them there," Trudge replied. They were quickly arrested and sent off.

"Thanks, guys," Era told them.

"Next time you pull something like this, I'll find a way to put a marker on you so we can keep track of you," Jack stated.

"I don't think you would be able to keep me down for that," Era responded.

"Let's get back," Yusei suggested.

"Yeah," Jack agreed and Crow nodded.

Era looked back at the mountain. Yusei grabbed her hand making her look at him. She sighed and nodded in acceptance.

"Don't worry, Era. We'll make sure everyone's alright," Trudge assured me.

I nodded in acceptance and Yusei transformed into her angel form before we flew off with Crow and Jack following by their runners.


	31. The Being in the Machine

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 31: The Being in the Machine

Era's POV

Yusei, Bruno, and I were at the Sector Security Headquarters with Trudge and Mina. I had managed to keep the infection that Yusei had got from the Underworld Curse Gem moving slower than it moved with me. But I had to use a lot of pain relief spells to keep the others from getting suspicious and worrying them. And though I refused to tell Yusei, it was wearing out my strength.

"Wait, so a demon's working with these guys?" Trudge asked.

"Yeah. It only adds up with everything that's been happening," I answered. "The thing that gives the biggest confirmation is that Bruno's memories have been locked away by a powerful demon. My first guess as to which one: Brehnam."

"Is there any way to get his memories back?" Mina asked.

"I tried to before I realized it was a demon that locked his memories away. When I discovered it, I knew the only way was with the help of Healer Angels and that process takes a lot of sessions which can be painfully. Especially when it's a human and not an angel," I explained. "Believe me, if I had any easier way of getting around it, Bruno would have his memories back by now."

"I'll be fine, Era," Bruno told me. "I'll get them back eventually."

I nodded. I turned back to the officers. "But I'm also worried about those men that are working with Brehnam," I stated. "Brehnam had said that he was using them and their wish to destroy the world to build a utopian society in a way against them. He was working with them only to go against them in the end result."

"What is he planning exactly?" Mina asked.

"I don't know the exact details," I replied. "But he had told me that after his temporal alliance with those people came to an end, he was going to bring the world into the vision of the Underworld. But until those people begin to destroy the world, the Underworld doesn't have enough power for a full scale invasion and world transformation. But that's not going to happen, I can guarantee you that."

"Coming from a hundred year old angel, I don't have any reason to doubt you," Trudge responded. I nodded in acceptance. We were about to continue talking when another officer ran in alert. "What is it?"

"There is a report that there is a time bomb inside the building," the officer information.

Yusei and I glanced at each other suspiciously. Something didn't seem right. While Trudge and Mina called for an evacuation, Yusei asked me, _"Do you sense any energy like from a bomb?"_

" _No, not even demonic energy,"_ I answered.

Trudge ordered the three of us out. But just as we went to exit the area, I noticed Sherry run in the building. I immediately turned around and ran after her.

"Era!" Yusei called but I followed Sherry.

I did noticed Bruno and Yusei follow me. I noticed Sherry go through a door to the central computer terminal and Elsworth begin to shut the door. I slipped through along with Bruno but Yusei was locked on the other side.

Third Person POV

Elsworth began to wire his duel disk to the door. Yusei's heart raced in automatic worry that Era was out of his sight again. And he couldn't go through the door without Elsworth seeing him.

Once Elsworth's duel disk was fully wired to the door, he stated, "It is now impossible for the door to be unlocked unless I am defeated in a duel. If you want to get to Mistress Sherry and your friends, you will have to face me."

"Fine," Yusei agreed and they began the duel.

Elsworth went first and drew his card, "I summon Spirit Summit Warrior (Attack 1200/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Now since Spirit Summit Warrior was successfully normal summon, its effect activates, allowing me to summon Liberated Rear Warrior (Attack 0/ Defense 1200) from my hand in attack mode as it is a level three or below warrior type monster. Now I tune Spirit Summon Warrior with Liberated Rear Warrior in order to synchro summon. Come forth, Driven Daredevil (Attack 2400/ Defense 2100)! I end my turn with two face downs."

Yusei drew his card. "By sending Quillbolt Hedgehog from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Quickdraw Synchron (Attack 700/ Defense 1400) form my hand in attack mode. Now since I have a tuner monster on my field, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800) straight from my graveyard in attack mode. I then tune Quillbolt Hedgehog with Quickdraw Synchron in order to do my own synchro summoning. I summon forth, Nitro Warrior (Attack 2800/ Defense 1800)! Nitro Warrior, attack Driven Daredevil!" Due to Elsworth's monster's effect, it wasn't destroyed but Elsworth's life points still took the hit dropping him to 3600 life points.

"I activate the second effect of Driven Daredevil! This destroys your Nitro Warrior," Elsworth fought. "And then I activate Master and Servant's Resolve! Since your monster was destroyed by a monster's effect during the battle phase, you're dealt damage equal to the attack of your Nitro Warrior!" Yusei's life points instantly dropped to a mere 1200.

"I summon Tricular (Attack 300/ Defense 300) in defense mode and set one face down. That ends my turn," Yusei finished. "What're you and Sherry doing?"

"I am here to help Mistress Sherry eliminate all her enemies, regardless of my cost to myself," Elsworth answered.

"Why are you so devoted to supporting Sherry and her mission?" Yusei asked the man.

"I do not have to answer that," Elsworth refused.

Era's POV

Bruno and I followed Sherry into a room where she began an analysis of a card.

"Sherry, what're you doing?" I asked.

Sherry looked at us but reached to grab Bruno. But the amnesic man dodged the French girl, saying, "We don't want to fight you."

"I need to analyze this card," Sherry said. I looked at it confused.

"Why?" I asked.

"I need to determine the motive behind my parents' murder," she answered.

Sherry went to unleash a lethal attack on Bruno, but my friend's eyes glowed red and he deflected the attack, throwing Sherry across the room with ease. The girl lands, ready to fight more, but Bruno seized Sherry by the neck.

He was about the punch her and I yelled, "Bruno, stop!"

Bruno stopped and I knew it was only because he noticed the card. He grabbed it and Sherry said, "Give it back! It has the truth I've been searching for!"

At these words, Bruno returned to normal and he released Sherry. "What happened?" he muttered.

I looked over him. "Part of the demon spell that locked away your memories seems to have some bad side effects," I told him. I looked at Sherry. "Sorry about, Bruno. I'll explain everything while I help you find out as much as I can about your card."

Sherry looked at me shocked. "You would really help me?" she asked. "But I broke into the headquarters."

I grinned. "It's the least I can do. One, it is as a compensation for Bruno's actions. I'm sure he'll help to. Plus, and most importantly, I don't want the people who murdered your parents to get away with what they've done either," I told her and her eyes widened. "No one should get away with murder, Sherry."

Sherry nodded and we got to work. And as I subtly suggested to Bruno, he helped as well.

Yusei's POV

It was Elsworth's turn and I was getting more and more worried about Era by the second. But the pain in my shoulder was coming back too and it was taking a lot of effort to not make it known. The times where you wish Era or another angel was around.

Elsworth drew his card to begin his turn. "Now due to it being my standby phase, I will take 1000 points of damage to keep Master and Servant's resolve on the field," he declared and his life points fell to 2600. "Driven Daredevil, attack Tricular!"

The attack destroyed my monster, but I defended myself, "I activate Tricular's effect to special summon Bicular (Attack 200/ Defense 200) from my deck in defense mode."

"I activate Reversal Sword! This destroys your Bicular and inflicts damage to both of us equal to its attack," Elsworth fought and I watched as my monster was destroyed and my life points drop to 1000 while his dropped to 2400. "I set a face down and end my turn."

I drew my card. "I summon Debris Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 2000) in attack mode. And now since Debris Dragon was successfully summoned, I can activate its first effect to summon back Tricular (Attack 300/ Defense 300) from my graveyard in attack position with its effects negated. And since I normal summoned a monster, I can special summon Turbo Booster (Attack 0/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack position," I declared. "Now I tune my Turbo Booster and Tricular with Debris Dragon in order to synchro summon. Take flight, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)! Stardust Dragon, attack Driven Daredevil!"

"I activate Standoff!" Elsworth fought. "And due to the first effect of my Daredevil, it isn't destroyed while dragon is." But his life points still fell to 2300.

"I activate Stardust Dragon's ability to negate the effect of Driven Daredevil and destroy it by tributing Stardust Dragon," I tried but it didn't happen confusing me.

"With Standoff in play, both players cannot tribute monsters on the field," Elsworth explained.

"Well, I activate Space Jump! By removing Stardust Dragon from play, I can inflict damage to you equal to its attack," I fought and the assault succeeded and Elsworth's life point fell to zero.

The door was unlocked and Elsworth and I walked into the room where Bruno, Sherry, and Era were finishing an analysis on a card. I gave a subtle sigh of relief knowing Era was alright.

"That's strange," Era stated. "There's nothing strange about the card." But more surprising, the terminal surges a storm of energy and I ran to them only as we were enveloped in a burst of light.

Era, Bruno, Sherry, and I looked at each other and our surroundings that looked like a cyber plane. Era looked at me, and I mouthed, "Know anything?" She shook her head. We turned back to the plane area.

But we all noticed a strange mechanical object with an eye staring right at us. We stared at it but a high pitched frequency and light scanned us. The sound made Era and I cover our ears in pain while the other two fell unconscious.

"W-What is that?" Era asked.

"Strange," said a deep voice that had a slight echo, while the noise stopped obviously making Era and I relieved. We looked as Bruno and Sherry flashed out. "Your minds and bodies are different. Very strange, indeed."

"Who are you?" Era asked it.

"You will find out eventually," the being answered. "Do not worry about that."

Suddenly the sound came out again, only much louder and higher pitched. Era and I covered our ears, trying to block it out, but it wasn't long until we fell unconscious as well.

. . .

I woke back up to see Era waking up beside me along with Bruno. Though, Sherry was still rendered unconscious. We looked around. We were back in our world but we were far from the Sector Security Headquarters. Elsworth came up.

"There you are, Mistress Sherry," Elsworth stated. He looked at me. "I owe you a debt for not turning us in to Security, Yusei, Era." Elsworth then picked up Sherry and drove off.

"What… just happened?" Bruno asked.

"I don't know," Era answered. "But that being in that machine…"

"I know. I want to know who he is and what is going on there," Yusei stated.

"Did you talk to that thing?" Bruno asked. "I only saw it for a few seconds before I was knocked out by some sound."

"As angels, our minds are more thoroughly protected to high frequency sounds but it can hurt a lot more," Era explained. "Meaning we were able to stay conscious for a bit longer. In that time, the man inside just said that our minds and bodies were different, which was strange to him. And then said we would find out who he is eventually before sending out the sound again only a lot worse and knocking us out."

"It was unusual, to say the least," I added.

"I bet," Bruno agreed.

Era obviously noticed I was straining a bit with the pain in my shoulder because she quickly used the two spells without Bruno knowing and helping it.

" _You doing okay?"_ she asked.

" _I'll be fine,"_ I answered. _"Don't worry about me, Era."_ I then added mentally, though, _'I just hope with this that I'll be able to keep my promise to Era… that she'll never lose me. No, I_ will _keep that promise. I have to, for Era's sake.'_


	32. The Life and Spell's Energy

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 32: The Life and Spell's Energy

Era's POV

It had been about three weeks since Yusei was hit with the Underworld Curse Gem. Myla and Cornelia were trying to get time off to come and help but everything was piling in on them and were having trouble.

At the moment, they had sent a surviving, skilled Healer Angel to come check out Yusei's condition. But Yusei and I decided to have it done at the overlook so no one, especially our friends, could know about it yet. My mate and I didn't want to worry our friends or anyone about Yusei's poison. But I knew Yusei was worried about me because with all the Spell Energy I was using to help him with the dark poison, I was growing weaker and was beginning to go a bit paler from my lack of energy.

I stood beside Yusei as the Healer Angel, Akilia, looked over Yusei's injury. "This is bad," she stated. She looked at me. "Have you been using an infection fighter spell to fight back the Curse?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Along with a pain reliever spell. I can't do much else being a Combat Angel and not a Healer Angel."

"Well, if it weren't for those spells, Yusei would've probably been gone by now," Akilia told us worrying me. "It is moving quite fast but those spells have dialed its speed down quite a bit as well. Yusei, you're lucky to have a strong angel like Era helping you out. Any angel weaker than her might've had a harder time keeping the spell strong."

"How far is it?" Yusei asked.

"Just starting to come around the back of your shoulder," Akilia informed.

"Is there anything you can do to make it smaller or something?" I asked.

"I can make it shrink but I can't cure it," she answered. "But it's a bit painful. Era, maybe you could help me with the pain."

"How?" I asked.

"Use an anesthetic spell while I use the spell to shrink this," Akilia explained.

"What's the difference between a pain reliever spell and an anesthetic?" Yusei asked.

"Pain reliever spells are ones that need to be repeated over time at least three times a day depending on the strength of the pain but don't use that much energy. Anesthetic spells last longer but use a lot of Spell Energy in order to use it to fullest extent," Akilia explained. "Anesthetic spells also automatically deal with high levels of pain that are typically over the usual amount of pain."

"Do you want it, Yusei?" I asked.

"Do whatever you feel is right, Era," he replied.

Akilia and I nodded at each other. "Hold still, Yusei," the Healer Angel told my mate.

Yusei tensed a bit as I activated the spell and I held my hand there as my friend began to activate her spell. I noticed Yusei tense more as Akilia pulled a string of dark energy out of the source of the poison and it shrunk a bit, where it wasn't on the rim of his shoulder as much. I had to begin to strain a bit as my energy was running thin.

Akilia pulled back and nodded as we let our spells go but mine would last on Yusei a bit longer. "Think he's good for now?" I asked her.

"For now," she answered. "But I'll have to talk to Cornelia and Myla. If I remember correctly, they've been studying the spell to cure the poison for a while now. But they haven't fully mastered it yet so them using it before hand is a bit risky."

"How long do you think until they've mastered it?" Yusei asked turning to us.

"They've been getting pretty close. It shouldn't be too long," Akilia answered.

"Alright," I responded. "Thanks for the help, Akilia."

"My pleasure. After all, it's pretty important to help a Signer and the Guardian Angel of Light," she told me.

"We're all angels," I corrected. "Doesn't matter what the title is; we're all angels, one and the same."

Akilia smirked. "Figures a senior Combat Angel would say something like that," she stated. "I'll see you later. Let me know if you need anything else." She left with that.

"You feeling good?" I asked.

"My arm is a bit numb from the spell but otherwise okay," Yusei responded. "I can still move it, at least." I shrugged, looking down a bit with a grin. "Era, are you sure you're alright?" I turned to him confused. "You're getting paler."

"I'm fine, Yusei," I told him.

"Era, I'm not buying it anymore," Yusei retorted. "You've been getting paler and paler every day and I want to know why."

"Don't worry about me, Yusei. Really," I told him. "I'm fine."

"Era…" Yusei began but I cut him off.

"I said I'm fine, Yusei," I told him sternly. "Let's just head back before the others start to worry."

He nodded and we took off, Yusei saying as we did, "You know I'm not going to let this go."

"You will, Yusei," I retorted.

"No, I won't," he denied. "Era, something _is_ wrong with you and I don't like it. It's already obvious with you growing so pale. So just come out with it now."

"For the final time, I'm fine, Yusei," I refused. "Stop worrying about me."

"Era…" Yusei began.

I could feel my energy depleting again. I was using a spell to help me stay aloft in the air a bit more so I didn't worry Yusei. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to fly. But in that second of feeling the weakness, my mind went black.

Third Person POV

Yusei immediately notice Era drop, and quickly grabbed her. He stopped at a hover and looked at her pale face.

"Era! Era, wake up," he called worried. She didn't budge. "Era, come on."

Yusei quickly started flying to the garage where he could look her over better. He soon landed next to the door. He moved his arm a bit so that Era's head leaned against his chest before walking in. Jack, Bruno, and Crow immediately stood up in alert seeing Era.

"What happened?" Crow asked.

"I don't know. She just fell while we were flying. I was able to catch her but I haven't gotten a chance to scan her over to see what's wrong. And she won't wake up no matter what I do," Yusei explained.

"Let's bring her to your room so you can look her over," Jack suggested.

Yusei nodded and the three humans followed him into his room where he set Era on his bed while he sat next to her. His head glowed a bit as he activated the spell and he hovered it over her body, starting from her feet to her head. But as he reached her heart, he stopped.

"What is it?" Bruno asked.

"Her Spell Energy is dangerously low," he informed.

"Spell Energy?" Jack repeated.

"And why did you stop for that over her heart?" Crow asked.

"Spell Energy is the energy angels naturally create in order to perform spells. When you first become an angel, it takes longer for your energy to reach its peak. By the time you've become a mature angel, it doesn't take a while unless you've nearly completely run out of it," Yusei explained. "And the energy is made and stored in our hearts."

"And what happens if it runs too low?" Bruno asked.

"Spells are made by the energy the angel's heart creates. It's the reason some Combat and other types of angels can use certain spells while others cannot. It's also why Era is deemed the strongest in existence. She can use practically any spell specialized in Combat Angels that she chooses," Yusei explained. "But that energy is also linked to the heart and the energy needed to keep us alive." He closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern and worry. "And if it runs out, the angel dies as the Spell Energy enabling the heart to beat normally is drained and runs out."

"Is she still using that energy now?" Crow asked.

"No," Yusei answered. "Her body seems to have gone into a hibernating-like state. So it can return as much energy so it can function normal as it needs. But until it gains enough, I don't think she'll be waking up."

"How long do you think that'll take?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," he answered shaking his head, opening his eyes though his face was down. "It's one thing to estimate it for a young angel, but no angel has lived as long as Era in a while. Nor has there ever been as powerful an angel as Era which means she needs a bit more energy than other angels."

"Do you think she'll be alright, though?" Bruno asked.

"Yeah," Yusei answered looking at her. "For now. As long as something doesn't happen that'll stop her body from making the energy, she should be fine."

"Why don't you stay and watch her, Yusei?" Crow suggested.

"Alright," he agreed. The three humans walked off while Yusei cradled Era's pale face gently. "Era… why didn't you tell me?" he muttered sadly. "I could've given you some energy to help you."

Yusei's locket went off in mention of a communication. He slowly took his hand away and looked at it. He went wide eyed as he read it:

" _ **Yusei, come to the Afterlife Palace. We need to talk.**_

 _ **-Crimson Dragon**_ "

' _He wants to speak to me? Now?'_ Yusei thought. He looked at Era worry on his face. ' _Era wouldn't want me to ignore anyone because of her, let along our lord.'_ He then whispered to her, "I'll be back, Era. I promise."

He walked out of his room and informed his friends of where he was going. Jack, Crow, and Bruno understood and told Yusei they would take care of Era until he got back. Yusei nodded and took off.

' _What could the Crimson Dragon want to talk to me about?'_ Yusei thought as he prepared to enter the Afterlife.


	33. The Ancient Spirit

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 33: The Ancient Spirit

Yusei's POV

I quickly found myself on the Afterlife's entry portal. Some Soldier Defense Angels nodded at me in respect which I responded with my own nod. I took stepped passed them politely before taking to the air again.

I looked around. The Angel Academy had been fully rebuilt and was back to its former glory. The design of the Academy had always somewhat reminded me of an ancient roman temple with its columns holding up a roof above the entrance way. The rest of it, though, looked similar to a normal school; though it had a normal, tepee like rooftops. I passed by the Peasant Planes where some peasants were farming their crops and selling things at a local market.

It wasn't long, however, before I arrived at the palace entrance. I explained to the watching sentries posted at the front door my reason for being there, showing my locket as a notice that I was an angel, and they allowed me in. Ever since Izoa's attack and infiltration, guards around the Academy and Palace grounds had been more watchful and needed proof of being an angel before entering the area.

I walked through the halls that were white and golden trimmed with stained glass window depicting certain ancient events. The guards at the door to the Crimson Dragon's throne room nodded at me in respect. They knew me and knew about my position as a Signer, so they knew they could trust me.

I entered the area and the guards shut the doors. As I reached the area of which the Crimson Dragon watched over, I kneeled down in respect as all angels were tasked to do when they saw him.

" _Rise,"_ he ordered. I stood up again and looked at him.

"You wished to see me?" I asked.

" _Yes, Yusei,"_ the Crimson Dragon answered. He flew down and landed in front of me. _"Come with me."_ I nodded and slowly followed him to a wall. He pressed a stone with his hand and part of the wall lit up red before opening to reveal a tunnel. _"We have much to discuss."_

I followed him in and asked, "What do we need to discuss, sir?" I asked him.

" _Era has told you about the angels' knowledge on the legend of the first Guardian Angel of Light, correct?"_ he replied. I nodded. _"Well, it is about time someone knew the in depth truth of it all."_

I looked at the dragon shocked. "Why are you telling me? Why me and not another angel like Era?" I asked.

" _Because this is something only you and Era should know. And I know Era's situation. It is the reason I have decided to tell you this now,"_ the dragon explained. I nodded and turned as we entered a room with a singular light filtering in onto a stone and dust covered casket.

"Is this…?" I stopped.

" _Yes, Yusei. This is where the first Guardian Angel of Light now lays in peace. Yet, her spirit is still with us,"_ the Crimson Dragon stated and I looked at him confused before I turned to see a transparent girl looking at them. She had dark brown hair with green eyes and wore an uniform similar to Era's. She also had a dark tan skin.

" _Hello, Yusei,"_ she greeted with a smile. _"I have heard much about you."_ I was speechless. She seemed Era's age but her voice had a slightly higher pitch to it. _"As his highness told you, I am the original Guardian Angel of Light. Usually when an angel dies, we become a star. A new sun in a place far away but close enough for you to see us. But I stayed behind. So I could watch the new angels grow and be able to watch Era. You can call me by my angel name, though. My name is Arietta."_

"You know me. But what's the full truth the legend?" I asked looking at the Crimson Dragon.

" _It starts five thousand and four hundred years ago,"_ Arietta began making me turn to her. _"War ravaged Earth among the tribes and new people for centuries. I was just a young girl when my father was taken by the bloody war for Netashia, or what is also known today as India. As I got older, my mother taught me and my four younger brothers how to fight and prepared us for fighting in the long war. I didn't want to fight and tried to keep my light up. But eventually the soldiers of the chief of our tribe took me to battle. I was eighteen when I was killed by an enemy soldier. For a while, I spent most of my time in the Afterlife as a peasant. But the war was turning everyone dark. And demons were being born out of it. As such, the Crimson Dragon came to me and asked that I help him create peace again. So he turned me into an angel, gifted with his power and heart. I went around the Afterlife, looking for possible angels. Those we chose were soon turned into the angels. With our numbers growing, we entered the human world again and shined our light upon everyone. The demons however took notice of this as well and tried to convince everyone that the dark ways of fighting were for the best while peace was a joke. Many, however, wished for peace and due to this, peace was returning to the Earth once again. But the demons began attacking us, creating the war between the ending worlds to erupt. We kept our battles quiet though and we fought to keep the peace. However, the chosen angels were growing weak. So his highness asked me to do something. He told me to give life to young, infant angels which would grow to become strong ones. But the first wasn't through my own power as the legends say."_ I got confused with that statement. _"I had made a mate during my time of battling. His name was Ateras. But as soon as we became mates, my power began to slowly deplete for a bit. It wasn't until I gave birth to the first, newborn angel that I saw why. When I became the mate of Ateras, he had given me some of his DNA which led to me becoming pregnant with a child."_ I went wide eyed in realization. _"Angels don't have the same side effects humans do when it comes to pregnancy. I realized this when I noticed I wasn't just losing energy from the battles and using spells. But I was also losing energy because the child within me was using it to grow. It turned out to be a young girl which Ateras and I named Bey. But as she grew older, her powers grew faster than her young body could handle. So I sent some of my power to her in order to keep her alive. But soon I found I needed to create more angels with my power as per our lord's instructions. So I did. Ateras was worried about it but kept watch of our daughter. Soon though, my powers were beginning to grow to weak so the Crimson Dragon sent his full power and heart into me, to keep me alive. Bey was bright and was already learning as to why I was so busy. She began to study hard and wanted to help me and my mate. But then Ateras was killed by a demon in front of Bey's eyes. She grew fearful and it took a lot for me to calm her down. But then the King of the Underworld and the Wicked Gods came forth and began to wreak havoc among the Earth. I stood side by side with the Crimson Dragon and his servant dragons during the final battle. But in order to finish the King of the Underworld, he asked for his power back. I knew that the only reason I was able to live on was because I had the Crimson Dragon's power inside me. But I didn't question nor mind giving my power back, even knowing what would happen to me. And when he took his power back, I died. He placed my body in here and it was then that I let my spirit return to here and talk to his highness once again. Bey visited me a few times too. She had grown fast and she looked very similar to the current Guardian Angel of Light. But one day, Bey never came. I asked the Crimson Dragon where she was and I was told she was killed by a demon. A demon named Brehnam."_

"Brehnam?!" I exclaimed.

Arietta nodded. _"The successor to the throne of the Underworld. I wanted to face him and avenge my daughter. But I couldn't. I was dead and I couldn't do anything to change that,"_ she explained.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

" _Because we know you and Era have become mates and the reason she is in her state now isn't just because she used a lot of energy to help you,"_ the Crimson Dragon responded and looked to Arietta to finish.

" _She is also harboring a child within her as well,"_ she finished.

"I'm not sure Era wants that, though. Is there any way to change that?" I asked.

" _I'm afraid not, my angel,"_ the Crimson Dragon answered. _"This has only happened to the Guardian Angel of Light. And with the chosen angel possessing so much power, it would be dangerous, and even potentially deadly, to take it away now."_

"What am I supposed to do to help her, then?" I asked.

" _For now, all you can do is tell her the truth when she wakes up and be there for her through everything,"_ Arietta answered.

"But how am I supposed to be with her through everything if I might not be able to stay with her for everything?" I asked touching the poisoned area.

" _I can help with that,"_ Arietta stated slowly walking over. She turned me so that she could look at my injury. _"Such powerful dark magic has been embedded here."_

"Is there anything you can do?" I asked.

" _I can cure it,"_ she answered and I looked at her shocked. _"I can use the leftover energy I have left to cure you."_

"But won't that mean…?" I stopped unsure.

" _Yes, it does mean I won't have any energy to remain here anymore. But I have stayed here long enough. It is time for me to go and for the current Guardian Angel of Light to take her full, rightful place,"_ Arietta reassured. I looked at her uncertain. _"I assure you, Yusei, I will be fine."_ I gave a slow nod. She looked at the Crimson Dragon. _"Goodbye, your highness. Watch the angels well, okay?"_

" _I will, Arietta. I promise,"_ he responded.

She nodded and I felt her touch my wounded and poisoned shoulder. I winced and held in a groan of pain as I saw her pull out dark mist from it. It slowly fell to the ground and evaporated. But soon the pain stopped and I saw Arietta give me a small nod before disappearing.

"Thank you, Arietta," I quietly said and looked at my shoulder to see the once blackened area was just left as a normal colored scar where the crystal had punctured my skin.

" _Yusei, take care of Era,"_ the Crimson Dragon told me and I looked at him. _"She is an angel that should never be let go of. Especially by her mate."_

"I promise, your highness. I won't let her get hurt any more than she already has been," I told her.

" _I know you won't,"_ he responded. _"You may go, Yusei. I'm sure Era will be still sleeping, but waiting for you."_

I nodded. "Thank you, your highness," I told her before walking out and flying back to Earth… and Era.


	34. The Promise to Keep

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 34: The Promise to Keep

Third Person POV

It had been two weeks since Era passed out from the lack of Spell Energy in her. At the moment, Cornelia and Myla had come to do a check for the first time. Yusei was sitting at the end of the bed watching Era as Cornelia and Myla did their work.

Cornelia was scanning Era's body for any internal problems due to the lack of energy that was the cause of this, two weeks ago. Myla was using a bit of her energy to help replenish Era's a bit more. But Yusei knew they couldn't do too much. Putting foreign angel's Spell Energy in another angel is risky and too much could very well kill the energy needed angel.

Cornelia pulled back suddenly as she hit around Era's lower abdomen while Myla stopped confused by the sudden jerk from Cornelia and she was also done with her sharing.

"What's wrong, Cornelia?" Myla asked.

"I was doing a scan when I felt another angel's life force here," she explained.

Myla raised an eyebrow and did her own scan. She pulled back confused and stated, "Okay, that's just weird." They looked at Yusei. "Any clues?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I found out about it when I talked to our lord and someone else."

"Who's 'someone else'?" Cornelia asked.

"The only reason I was able to get the Underworld Curse Gem's poison out of me was because his highness took me to the tomb of the first Guardian Angel of Light and apparently she stayed there to watch the angels live on until she didn't need to be around anymore," Yusei started and he was about to explain what Arietta told him when Myla cut him off.

"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying you met the original Guardian Angel of Light?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"And… what did she say exactly?" Myla asked as both she and Cornelia seemed to be in a state of shock. "Is it part of why Era is taking longer than it should for her to wake up from this?"

Yusei nodded. "The first Guardian Angel of Light's name was Arietta. She had a mate as well," he started and they looked at him intently. "According to her, after she first became mates with the male angel, she began to weaken in power a bit. It wasn't until later she found out why." He paused prompting the two female angels to give him prodding looks. "Arietta said that when a female angel becomes mated with male, the male sends some of his DNA into her and…"

Cornelia cut him off by asking her realization, "Are you saying Era is pregnant?" Yusei gave a small nod.

"How? She doesn't look like it at all," Myla asked.

"Arietta said pregnancy isn't the same for angels as it is for humans," he explained. He looked at Era's peaceful face in her sleep. "And I'm worried about how Era will feel about it."

"Is there a way to get it out? And does this happen with every female angel who has a mate?" Cornelia asked.

"I asked a similar question," Yusei replied. "Our lord said that it has only ever happened to the Guardian Angel of Light. He also said that since she has so much power, it would be dangerous and potentially deadly to take it out of her now."

"So there really is no way out of it," Cornelia responded.

"But it would explain how she lost the energy and is taking so long to recharge it. She is also sharing the power with a child inside her," Myla stated as the two Healer Angels looked at each other. "I just hope Era will be able to accept it."

Yusei tilted his head down in frustration. He wished he could've helped his mate better and wanted more than anything for her to wake up. He couldn't stand not having her to tell this to and the worry over everything that had happened was overwhelming.

"It'll be alright, Yusei," Myla told him and he looked at his two angel friends. "Era's tough and she knows how to push through things, even if she doesn't want it what she has to push through. And I'm sure that once she gets to hear the idea a bit, she'll grow to accept it and be happy with it."

"After all, it's also from the angel she loves and cares about most," Cornelia added and gave him a smile. Yusei returned her smile with a grin.

He then asked, returning serious again, "Any idea how much longer before she'll be able to wake up?"

Myla did a scan and answered, "Another day, at most. So not much longer. That's saying if she keeps the steady replenishing rate she's at."

"Good," Yusei responded.

Myla's locket went off. "Cornelia, we're needed back at council," she stated.

Cornelia nodded. They looked at Yusei. "Yusei, take care of her and keep an eye on her. She'll need you more than ever now," she told him.

Yusei nodded in acceptance and the two angels took off. He got closer to Era and gently grabbed her hand with his right hand. "Don't worry, Era. I'll never let you be alone and go at this alone. I promise," he whispered and used his free hand to gently hold her face. He touched his lips to her forehead and thought, _'I love you too much to let you do that.'_

. . .

Yusei waited in the room, just sitting next to Era as the time ticked by. Jack, Bruno, and Crow stopped by, checking in on Era and asking what Cornelia and Myla had said. When he explained everything, though he left out the pregnancy because they _still_ didn't know about him and Era being mates, they seemed shocked about her energy forming slower than it should but relieved that she should wake up soon.

"So where did Cornelia and Myla go?" Bruno asked.

"They were needed back in the Afterlife," Yusei explained. "They were able to finish their help here for now, though."

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Crow asked.

"Yeah," Yusei answered.

"I think you can leave her for a bit, Yusei," Jack stated. "I don't think Brehnam is going to come after her when you'll be able to feel his energy in a second and come in here." Yusei looked back at Era.

"Don't worry, Yusei. She's safe here," Bruno told him.

He closed his eyes calmly. "I know. I'm just worried about her," he responded. "That's all."

"You really do love her, don't you, Yusei?" Crow asked.

"More than I can put into words," he replied opening his eyes to look at Era again.

They went silent for a bit. But eventually they began talking again, the three humans trying to keep the topic off of Era. They knew it would only cause Yusei to hurt more. They already knew he didn't like not being to help Era as much as he possible could without killing himself and risking killing Era. But what the humans didn't know was that it was also that Yusei didn't want to leave Era alone in case she woke up sooner rather than later. He knew that Era would want to see him before anything else and he wanted to be there to help her a bit.

Eventually though, Jack convinced the other two of Yusei's friends to back off of Yusei and they left. Yusei just turned to Era again, worry in his eyes.

After waiting another hour, Yusei's worried eyes turned to ones of relief as his mate's eyes opened. She looked at him, seeming relieved and confused.

"Yusei?" she called quietly.

"I'm here," he replied calmly. She began to sit up. "Easy, Era." He pushed her down again gently. "You need the rest."

"What… happened?" she asked.

"You used up too much of your Spell Energy," he explained. "Why didn't you tell me you were that week? I could've helped."

"I didn't want to worry you," she answered looking to the side a bit.

"Era, you were in a coma for almost two weeks because you used so much energy," Yusei retorted, shocking the angel and making her look at him again. "Do you really think that you hiding how week in Spell Energy you had was going to be better for me?" She averted her gaze from his, unable to hold it. Yusei gently grabbed her face to make her look him in the eyes.

Before Yusei could do anything, Era sat up so she was close enough to kiss him. As soon as their lips met, the male angel brought her closer to him, wanting nothing more than to hold her close like this again, after so long of worrying.

Time seemed to slow down for the two angels and they couldn't tell how long they kissed before Yusei could back so they could breathe. And instead of lying back down, Era leaned into Yusei's chest as he held her.

"Don't worry me like that again, Era," he whispered as he pulled her closer. "Please."

"I'll try not to, Yusei," she agreed, listening to his heartbeat. She noticed, though, that his heartbeat was faster, like he was nervous. She slowly looked at him. "Yusei, is something wrong?" He looked to the side, not sure how to tell her what happened and what was said between him, the Crimson Dragon, and Arietta. "Yusei?"

"It's just…" he paused and she looked at him. "When you first blacked out and I got you here, the Crimson Dragon called me to meet him. He took me to a secret tomb in the palace. It's where the original Guardian Angel of Light lays. But during that time, the spirit stayed with us, in the tomb. And I got to meet her." Era's eyes widened in shock. "She explained to me what really happened with the first angel to be born from her, and how it happened."

"How was the first angel born?" Era asked.

"Her name was Arietta and she had a mate," he began but stopped.

"It's okay, Yusei. Just tell me," she assured him.

Yusei looked in her eyes for a moment, looking for any signs against those words. The only things he saw were readiness and worry. "According to Arietta, this only happens to the Guardian Angel of Light as far as her and the Crimson Dragon knows. When she gets a mate, the male sends his DNA into her and she…" he stopped, not wanting and unsure how to finish.

Era looked down for a moment. "Are you saying I'm… pregnant?" she asked in the lowest whispered.

"I'm sorry, if I had known, I would've…" he was cut off by Era placing her lips on his again.

When she pulled back, she said, "I'll be okay, Yusei. As long as you're there with me through all of it, there to help me raise the child too, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Era? I mean…" he stopped again.

"I'll be fine, Yusei. You don't need to worry about me so much," she replied.

"Worrying is all I can do about you, Era," Yusei retorted. He pulled her in close to him again. "I promise, though, I'll stay by you with everything there is. I'll never leave you alone, no matter what."


	35. The Flight of Realization

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 35: The Flight of Realization

Era's POV

It was about three days since I woke up and Yusei caught me up on everything that has been happening.

Apparently, while I was out, he went a finished a few demons. Let's just say I was a little more than upset. Yusei defended himself well and I knew there were only two outcomes, one for each option. If he stayed and didn't kill off the demon, then the demon would've been let loose and probably would've possessed someone. If he left, he would've possible stopped the demons but risk me losing him in the process. So I had no real way to argue back with valid reasons other than me nearly losing him each time.

I was also told that Bruno and Yusei had completed a new program for the duel runners that was a near replica of the one we made together. And it was apparently true when I found out that it was being installed.

At the moment, Yusei, Crow, Bruno, Jack, and I were watching as the three duelist's duel runners were being worked on. Yusei was standing close to me. Ever since I woke up, his protectiveness over me had increased. Though I understood why for the most part, I still didn't like how protective he was of me.

"I'm impressed with our accomplishment," Bruno commented.

One of the main workers, named Rick, came over, "No kidding. By using the Ener-D rotary, we have increased the duel runners' acceleration by one hundred-fifty percent." We watched as three devices were lowered onto my mate's and friends' runners. "The program Yusei, Bruno, and Era developed is also being inputted."

"I'm sure we can use the program to win," Yusei stated and Bruno and I nodded in agreement.

"Is the company okay with doing this for us? You're in a bit of trouble, with your president gone," Crow asked.

"Although the president is no longer with us after the incident, he left us an order to help you three," Rick replied.

"I don't think Bolton is coming back after being dismissed," Jack commented.

"Although he committed a crime, nobody hates him. We all know that he loved the duel runners from his heart," Rick responded. "Until the mistakes of the past are corrected, we intend to protect the company." We turned as new parts were added to the duel runners.

I noticed Yusei look down and I knew something was bothering him with those words. _'I'll question him about it tonight,'_ I thought.

. . .

That night, Yusei and I were flying around the air silently. I could tell Yusei's mind was also directed around something else at the same time as hunting down demons.

" _Alright, Yusei,"_ I called in a stern voice and he looked at me, _"what's wrong?"_

" _It's nothing,"_ he replied, turning his head away from my gaze. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a hover. I looked at him in his eye with a stern, prodding glare that said I would not back down on the matter until it was settled. He sighed. _"I'm just worried that the mistakes of my past with my father's research will never be corrected."_

" _Okay, that's it,"_ I stated sternly. I grabbed his arm and yanked him higher into the air. I stopped when we were bridging the highest cloud cover. He looked at me confused. _"Yusei, look at New Domino right now,"_ I ordered. He looked at it, obviously still lost as to what I was trying to say. _"What do you see?"_

" _I see the city. It's lights and everything,"_ he answered.

" _Exactly,"_ I responded. _"Before Zero Reverse, it may have looked similar but it didn't look as beautiful at this height as it does today."_ He looked at me. _"It just looked like an ordinary city. Right after Zero Reverse, it was a bit worse. But now, it's worked well passed those dark days. It's become bright and beautiful. It's become something new and better. Yusei, Satellite and New Domino might've been whole at one point. But if it wasn't for Zero Reverse, it would probably look similar as to how it did all those years ago. It wouldn't look like this if Zero Reverse hadn't happened. And if Zero Reverse hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met your father, our friends, or you. Your father's work itself may have brought out a problem at one point, but its final result was amazing and better. Your father's research has been corrected, Yusei. You may have never seen it until now. But it's been corrected in ways that some people don't see or understand."_

" _Era…"_ Yusei muttered and I smiled at him.

" _Have you heard anyone complain about Professor Fudo's work and what happened with it?"_ I asked with a grin. He sent a grin back and shook his head slightly. _"People have moved passed it and it's corrected itself out. Now it's your turn to move passed it too."_

" _Thanks, Era,"_ he stated. _"I probably needed to hear that."_ We looked down at the view far below. _"And see it."_

I gave him a small smile and cupped his cheek. I moved my hand down and grabbed his. _"Let's get back to doing our duty,"_ I told him. _"We can sight see when we know there aren't any demons in the area."_

Yusei gave a soft chuckle. _"Alright,"_ he agreed and we took off.


	36. The First Meeting with Team Unicorn

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 36: The First Meeting with Team Unicorn

Era's POV

The next day, Yusei, Jack, Crow, Akiza, Bruno, and I were in the garage making sure the improved duel runners would be okay.

"Think they'll be good to go?" I asked.

"We'll be practice running them tomorrow. We'll be able to tell then," Yusei responded.

Suddenly, the door burst open and we turned to see Leo and Luna running in. "We heard the duel runners are finished," Luna stated.

"Are they good to go?" Leo asked.

"Should be," Yusei answered.

"Nice new outfits, guys," Leo complimented.

"Thanks," Yusei responded.

"It's a bit uncomfortable, in my opinion," Jack stated. "I'm used to wearing my old clothes."

"Don't say stupid things like that. You're wearing the same clothes you always have!" Crow retorted.

"No fighting," I stated sternly making the fight cease before it began.

Luna looked at the name on the suits. "5D's?" she questioned. "Is that the team name?"

"Yeah," Crow answered. "Jack chose the name himself."

"Crow suggested it. It's better than using some other common name," Jack retorted.

"What does '5D's' even mean?" Leo asked.

"It means there are five D's. Like devil, destroy, dead hit, dark, daisuki Bruno," Bruno listed off but stopped as Jack hit him on the head.

"It starts with this," Jack stated and showed his mark.

"The five marks of the Crimson Dragon?" Luna asked.

Yusei nodded. "Our bonds were called together by the Crimson Dragon," he explained. He looked at Era. "Even Era. She's just as much connected to us through the Crimson Dragon as us."

"And even though I don't have a mark, Luna and I came to know everyone because of Luna's mark," Leo commented.

"You two are part of the team too," Jack stated shocking them.

"My name isn't there. Maybe we should call the team 'Bruno and 5D's'," Bruno suggested prompting Jack to hit Bruno on the head again.

I sighed. "Jack, stop hitting him," I ordered calmly.

"I think it's a good name," Akiza stated. We all put our hands together and Yusei grinned at me.

"From today onwards we are Team 5D's," he stated.

. . .

The next day, I stood with everyone at the stadium to check the preliminary match-ups for the World Racing Grand Prix.

"Are the preliminary round like a league?" Luna asked.

"There are thirty-two participating teams in total," I explained. "And they're divided into blocks."

"Is the first team we face Team Unicorn?" Leo asked. "They're the guys we met at the opening ceremony."

"Team Unicorn won the Atlantis Tournament and are rumored to be strong candidates to win this one," Yusei remarked.

Leo sighed. "It would have been nicer to not have to face opponents like that in the same block," he stated.

"Candidates to win or not, we'll defeat whoever stand in our way," Jack cut in.

"If we're aiming for victory, we'll have to face strong opponents sooner or later," Yusei agreed.

"Exactly," I agreed. "There would be no way to avoid it."

"This just means that time came sooner," Crow commented calmly.

"I guess that is true, but…" Leo began but was cut off by Bruno.

"Yusei, it's almost practice time," he told the leader of the team. Yusei nodded and he, Jack, and Crow departed for practice.

"What did they mean by practice?" Luna asked me.

"It's just a practice run," I told them.

"Why don't we watch from the stands?" Akiza suggested.

We all agreed and walked towards the stands. We near the circuit and a mechanical voice called for the lane to be used by Team 5D's for practice and asked for other teams to leave. We walked a bit farther when we spotted Trudge at the bottom of the stand at the opposite side of the wall. We walked down and greeted him respectfully.

"Did you guys come to support Yusei, Jack, and Crow?" Trudge asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Why are you here in your Security uniform?" Leo asked.

"See the lanes?" Trudge replied and we looked at them. "Teams are using them for practice and rotate as time passes. Since they're not using auto-pilot, I'm here in case there is an accident."

"Here they come!" Akiza alerted us and we turned as Yusei and the others came out.

They rode passed us, giving us a wave. I gave a small wave back and Yusei smirked. _'He really does enjoy riding duel runners,'_ I thought.

Inside the lane, I heard Yusei say to the others, "The performance of the duel runners have upgraded well."

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"Now that it can go this fast, I'm going to win the tournament for Pearson and Bolton," Crow stated and I grinned in approval. "Why don't we test the speed?"

"Practice time for Team 5D's is now over. Please leave the lane," the voice called.

"The other team is probably not even at the lane," Crow stated and sped up.

"Crow, wait!" Yusei called as he and Jack stopped off to the side.

I grew alert as I heard the motor of another duel runner coming from the course entrance. Suddenly, another turbo duelist entered the course as expected. Crow didn't have enough time to stop and ended up crashing along with the other duelist.

I ran up as Crow and the man stood up. Yusei and the others were quickly by me. "Are you guys okay?" I asked.

"I am," Crow answered.

"I'm fine," the other duelist followed. The other two teammates from the man's team came out. The seeming leader came up and I recognized him as Andre.

"Good to see you again," he told me.

I noticed Yusei struggling not to glare protectively at the man again. "It's nice to see you again, too, Andre," I responded to try to cool down the heat that was forming. "So you're the team who's practicing next? You make up Team Unicorn, right?"

"That's right," he answered. "This is my team, Jean and Breo." We each gave a nod of respect, though I felt Yusei subtly grab my hand and I looked at him for a quick moment.

"Were you trying to sabotage us?!" Jean yelled at Crow, angry.

"Calm down, Jean. Everything's okay," Andre tried to calm his teammate, which worked.

"Is there something we could do to make up for this?" Yusei asked.

"How about a duel?" Andre suggested.

"Fine with me," Yusei accepted. They each got on their runners. They activated Speed World 2 and took off like a bullet.


	37. The Practice Duel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 37: The "Practice" Duel

Third Person POV

As the duel began, Jean and Breo talked on their side of the track. "We need to watch Yusei duel," Jean stated.

"Yeah, I've heard Yusei's good. If we can learn how he duels, we can beat him," Breo stated.

Era was standing with the others on the other side, but looked at the two as she heard what they said. They looked in her direction, feeling her stare.

Era's locket went off, signaling a message, and she looked at it. "Guys, I'll be right back," she stated. They looked at her as she turned invisible and walked off.

Breo and Jean went wide eyed as they saw her vanish from sight like a ghost. "Any idea what we just saw?" Breo whispered to Jean.

"None," Jean answered, just as shocked. "Whatever she is, though, she isn't human."

"Do you think the others know?" Breo asked.

"Probably. But did you notice Yusei when Andre flirted with Era a bit?" Jean asked as they looked at the two as they raced around the track. "He's extremely protective of her. I want to know why and what Era is."

Breo nodded and said, "Let's get back to the duel." They turned to the duel.

"This will be an interesting duel," Jean denoted. "Andre and Yusei are similar when it comes to having a genius dueling style."

Yusei took the first turn and drew his card. "I summon Max Warrior (Attack 1800/ Defense 800) in attack mode," he declared. "That ends my turn."

Andre drew his card. "I summon Playful Possum (Attack 800/ Defense 600) in attack mode. And since you control a monster whose attack is higher than the attack of Playful Possum, I activate its effect to destroy itself. And now since a beast type monster I control was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can pay 1000 life points to special summon Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest (Attack 2600/ Defense 1800)," he declared and his monster appeared as his life points fell to 3000. "Green Baboon, attack Max Warrior!" The attack succeeded and Yusei's life points fell to 3200. "I set two face downs and end my turn."

Yusei drew his card.

. . .

Era watched from above for a moment before turning to Yue who hovered next to her. "Are you certain you saw that right?" she asked. "Crow isn't hurt right now."

"I know he gets hurt at some point," Yue replied. "You know World Angels' visions are never wrong unless someone changes them."

"Do you know how he'll break his shoulder?" Era asked.

"Not really," Yue responded. "All I saw was Crow crashing after a shadowy figure gets him and then Crow at the hospital with the doctor saying he broke his shoulder bone. I can't tell you much more. I just know he crashes and that he gets hurt like that."

"Should I do something about it, Yue?" Era asked.

"You're the senior angel, Era," she answered. "That's something you'll need to decide on your own."

"And what am I supposed to do if he does get hurt?" she asked. "I don't know any healing spells that can heal broken bones. I don't want to know what Crow will feel like if he finds out he can't duel in the tournament."

"You're smart, Era. You'll find out," Yue responded giving the Combat Angel with a smile. "Don't worry."

"How can I not? Not only is he my friend, but if he finds out I knew and let him get hurt…" Era trailed off and looked down.

"Crow knows that there are some things angels can't help or change," Yue responded. "Even if you knew this, there might be something that it'll lead up to. Crow would understand that. Besides," They looked at the duel, "even angels couldn't stop Zero Reverse and save all those lives. He knows that. He knows you can't stop everyone from getting hurt and he knows that you will always try to if you can."

Era looked at Yusei. "I don't even think Yusei would let me get into any point where I might get hurt," she stated. _'Not at this point, at least,'_ she added mentally as she thought of the child that she supposedly carried in her.

"He is really protective of you, Era," Yue commented. "But it's with good measure." Era looked at him. "Myla and Cornelia have caught me up on all those little, dangerous adventures you've been on. And you told Yusei and the others. I can bet you anything, he doesn't want to see you in those situations again. Especially since he promised our lord, the Crimson Dragon, he would protect you with everything he has."

Era gave a slight groan. "I know," she agreed.

"Still don't like the fact he's so protective of you?" Yue asked.

"I promised his father I would protect him," Era replied. "If he's protecting me, how am I supposed to protect him?"

"Era, Professor Fudo had visited the Guardian Council at his highness' request," Yue responded taking the angel's full attention. She held out a letter. "He said that if we ever got a chance to see you, he wanted me to give this to you." Era took it. "Read it later."

"A-Alright," she agreed and slid the letter into a pocket. They looked at where Yusei drew for the third turn. "I should better get back down there."

"Yeah, probably," Yue agreed. Her locket went off and she looked at it before groaning. "And I need to get back to the Afterlife."

"You really don't like being a Guardian, do you?" Era asked.

"No. Sometimes I wish I was back to being only a World Angel," she answered. "It was much easier than only reading and checking candidates for becoming an angel."

"You guys are doing great," Era responded. "Without you, not a lot of good angels would be chosen."

Yue smiled. "True," she agreed. She turned to fly off. "I'll see you later, Era!"

"See ya, Yue!" Era called back before she turned to head back to her friends. She turned invisible right before she reached easily visible view of the others. She landed and returned next to the others who gave her questioning looks. "I'll talk to you guys about it later," she told them. She looked at the opposing team and noticed Andre's teammates were staring at her, obviously shocked.

She then returned to the duel. It was definitely Yusei's turn as he declared, "I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton! This allows me to draw two cards as long as I send one card from my hand to the graveyard. Then I activate another Speed Spell- Angel Baton. And now I normal summon Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in attack mode and activate its effect. This allows me to special summon Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) from my graveyard in defense mode with its effects negated. And since I control a tuner monster, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800) straight from my graveyard in attack mode. I now tune my Speed Warrior and Quillbolt Hedgehog with Junk Synchron in order to summon Junk Archer (Attack 2300/ Defense 2000)!" And since Quillbolt Hedgehog was removed from the field, it was removed from play as well. "Now I activate the effect of Junk Archer to remove your Green Baboon from play until the end phase." Junk Archer fired an arrow at the giant baboon and it hit the monster, making it disappear from view. "Now, Junk Archer, attack Andre directly!"

"I activate Battle Instinct! This allows me to special summon Nimble Momonga (Attack 1000/ Defense 100) from my hand in attack mode," Andre fought. The attack continued and Andre's monster was destroyed, dropping Andre's life points to 1700. "And now since Nimble Momonga was destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, its effect activates, increasing my life points by 1000," His life points shot back up to 2700, "and allow me to special summon two more Nimble Momongas from my deck in defense mode."

"I set a face down and end my turn," Yusei finished. And due to it being the end phase, Andre's powerful monster returned to the field.

Andre drew his card. "I activate the second effect of Playful Possum to revive itself (Attack 800/ Defense 600) in attack mode. Then I tribute Playful Possum and one Nimble Momonga in order to tribute summon Behemoth the King of All Animals (Attack 2700/ Defense 1500)!" he declared and his monster rose up onto the field. "And now since Behemoth was tribute summoned, its effect activates, allowing me to return the two Nimble Momongas in my graveyard to my hand. And next I switch the Nimble Momonga that is on my field to attack mode. Green Baboon, attack Junk Archer!"

"I activate Chain Arrow!" Yusei defended. "This increases the attack of Junk Archer by 500 during the damage calculation only (Junk Archer: Attack 2800)." His monster destroyed Andre's, dropping Andre's life points to 2500. While since it was now after the damage calculation, the attack of Junk Archer returns to its original 2300 attack points. "And now I activate the second effect of Chain Arrow, reducing the attack of your Behemoth by 1000 (Behemoth the King of All Animals: Attack 1700) until the end phase."

"I activate Beast Burial Ritual to destroy my Nimble Momonga and draw two cards; however, I can use the drawn cards this turn," Andre played. "And then I activate the effect of Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest! By paying another 1000 life points, I can special summon it from my graveyard in attack mode." His life points dropped to 1500 while his monster did return as said with a full 2600 attack points. "Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest, attack his Junk Archer!" The attack succeeded and Junk Archer was destroyed while Yusei's life points fell to 2900. "Behemoth the King of All Animals, attack him directly!" The attack hit and Yusei's life points fell to 1200. "I set one card and end my turn." And due to it being the end phase, the second effect of Chain Arrow expired, returning Behemoth to a full 2700 attack points.

Yusei drew his card to begin his turn. "I summon Shield Wing (Attack 0/ Defense 900) in defense mode and set two face downs. That's all for now," he declared.

Andre drew his card. "I summon a Nimble Momonga (Attack 1000/ Defense 100) in attack mode. I send the Nimble Momonga in my hand to the graveyard to special summon Egotistical Ape (Attack 1200/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. And now I activate the effect of Egotistical Ape to increase its level by the level of Nimble Momonga (Egotistical Ape: Level 7)," he declared.

"I activate Shield Coat! This doubles the defense of Shield Wing (Shield Wing: Defense 1800), though on my second standby phase, Shield Coat will be destroyed," Yusei defended.

"Well I tune Nimble Momonga with Egotistical Ape in order to synchro summon Naturia Leodrake (Attack 3000/ Defense 1800)!" Andre declared and his monster appeared next to him. "Green Baboon and Behemoth, attack Shield Wing!"

"Well due to Shield Wing's effect, it can't be destroyed by battle for two times this turn," Yusei informed.

"Well, I still have one more monster to play. Naturia Leodrake, attack Shield Wing one more time!" Andre ordered. The attack hit and was able to destroy Yusei's only monster. "Now I activate Howl of the Wind! This inflicts 300 points of damage to you for every beast type monster I control!" Yusei's life points dropped to 300 as the assault hit. "I set one face down and end my turn."

Yusei drew his card. "I summon Debris Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 2000) in attack mode and use its effect to revive Shield Wing in attack mode with its effects negated. Now I activate the Speed Spell- Vision Wind to revive Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) in attack mode. Now I tune Shield Wing and Speed Warrior with Debris Dragon to synchro summon. Take flight, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)!" he declared and his dragon flew up beside him proud and tall. "Stardust Dragon, attack Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest!"

"You're just destroying yourself, Yusei," Andre stated.

"Not quite. I activate Synchro Strike! This increases the attack of Stardust Dragon by 500 for each synchro material monster that was used to summon it until the end phase. So that means it is gaining a total of 1500 extra attack points (Stardust Dragon: Attack 4000)," Yusei fought. The attack hit and Green Baboon was destroyed while Andre's life points fell to 100. "Now I activate Speed World 2's effect. By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage to you for each Speed Spell in my hand. Like my Speed Spell- Final Attack."

But just as the effect of Speed World 2 is about to resolve, the mechanical voice called that Team Unicorn's practice time was over, stopping the duel.

Yusei pulled over by the others. The opposing team came up. "Nice duel, Yusei. Can't wait to see how you duel in the tournament," Andre stated holding out a hand.

"Same," Yusei agreed and they gripped hands.

Andre looked at Era and gave her a quick smile while the other two just watched her suspiciously. "We'll meet again in the tournament, Andre," Era told him. "I'm sure of it."

"Well, we better go before the other team shows up," he stated. "See ya." They walked off with that.

" _Yusei, we need to talk when we get the chance,"_ Era told him.

" _About what?"_ he responded.

" _You'll find out when I can tell you. If I say it in front of the others…"_ she trailed off.

Yusei sighed. _"Alright, I get it,"_ he agreed. He turned to his friends who looked confused. "We should better get back to the garage, too."

They nodded and they all left. Era got on behind Yusei, at his urging, and they took off.


	38. The Events Within a Day

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 38: The Events Within a Day

Third Person POV

Yusei and Era flew around the air, scouting out for demons. They were around their friends the entirety of the day after Yusei dueled Andre. Now that they were alone, Yusei noticed how tense Era was.

" _What did we need to talk about, Era?"_ he asked her in Angelic. She looked at him, almost like she had just been snapped out of her mind which was extremely deep in thought. Yusei pulled her to a hover and asked her in a stern, no arguing voice, _"Alright, what's wrong?"_

" _Nothing's really wrong,"_ she answered.

" _The way you're acting says otherwise,"_ Yusei retorted sternly. Era looked down. _"You know you can't hide anything from me, Era. So don't bother trying to hide from me that something is wrong. And I'm going to be stressing that even more after you hid that your Spell Energy was low and put you into a two week coma."_

" _Yusei…"_ she muttered, looking in his eyes. Yusei slowly grabbed her hand in a comforting hold and gave her an understanding face but held a stern look underneath it that said he wasn't going to give up. _"Just after you took off to duel Andre, Breo and Jean were talking about watching you duel and learning how you duel."_

" _So they were using the duel to figure out how to beat me?"_ Yusei responded. Era looked down again but nodded. _"I'll still be able to beat them, Era. Why is that bothering you so much?"_

" _That's… not the only thing bothering me,"_ she replied.

" _What else is bothering you, then?"_ Yusei pushed.

" _A couple things. One, during the duel, Yue came and talked to me. She warned me that Crow will get hurt soon,"_ she stated looking at him a bit.

" _How badly?"_ Yusei asked.

" _According to her, he'll break his shoulder bone,"_ Era answered. Yusei went wide eyed in shock. She looked down. _"And… I'm not sure what I should do. She doesn't know what'll lead to, so she's not sure whether I should let it play out or stop it."_

" _Era…"_ he responded.

" _I want to help him. I want to keep him safe and protect him from getting hurt. But… at the same time, if it leads to something important, shouldn't I let it play out on its own?"_ Era stated. Yusei used his free hand and gently cupped her cheek, making her look at him again.

" _If you want, Era, I'll use a protection spell and take the hit for him,"_ he told her.

She went wide eyed in shock and he could see a bit of fear in her eyes. _"Yusei, no,"_ she refused. _"If anyone should protect him, it's me. I was the one Yue told about this. I should be the one to keep Crow safe if I have to."_

" _Era, it's my job to protect you,"_ he retorted. _"The easiest way for me to do that is by making sure you're out of harm's way."_ Era looked down again. _"Please, Era. Let me do this for you."_

" _A-Alright,"_ she gave in. _"Just… whatever you do, don't get hurt."_

" _I promise, Era, I'll do everything in my power to keep me and Crow from getting hurt,"_ he assured her. She gave a small nod. _"You said that was one of a couple other things that were bothering you. What was the other thing?"_

" _I'm… just worried about having a child,"_ she answered honestly, looking away from his gaze. _"I'm accepting it and am okay with it, but I'm worried about it at the same time. Is our lord and the first Guardian Angel of Light sure I have a child in me?"_

" _I don't think they would've said it if they weren't sure,"_ Yusei responded. _"I know you're worried about it, Era. And to be honest, I am too. But we'll make it through all this together."_

" _And you'll be there with me through it?"_ Era asked slowly.

" _Of course, Era. Don't you ever think otherwise,"_ Yusei ordered. He brought her into his body and held her head to his chest, their wings flapping in sync with each other and their heartbeats in perfect unison. _"I promised you that I would stay by your side for as long as I live. And I will always stand by you and never leave you. I'll help you… and our child."_

Era slowly looked at him. _"Yusei…"_ she muttered. He gave her a soft smile. _"Thank you, Yusei."_

" _Of course, Era,"_ he responded. _"Come on, we have a long night ahead of us. And a long day tomorrow."_

" _You're going to be testing your speed, right?"_ Era asked.

Yusei nodded. _"Come on,"_ he called and pulled on her hand as they flew off.

. . .

The next morning, Yusei woke up first, feeling Era wrapping in his wings. He looked at her and noticed she was still asleep but was growing pale again, worrying Yusei. He carefully moved her towards to laying on her back, keeping his wings around her. He scanned over her again to finding her Spell Energy level was running low again.

Yusei immediately used an energy transfer spell to help her again. _'How much energy is it going to take out of her?'_ he thought worried. He watched her worried as she regained a bit of color. He took his hand away and let go of the spell.

Yusei sighed in relief that she was okay for a moment before looking at her lower abdomen. He carefully placed a hand there and gave a small amount of energy where he felt the child's heart was.

' _That should keep it from needing as much of Era's energy for now,'_ he thought. He turned back to Era's peaceful, sleeping face.

Yusei pulled her into his body with his arms while tightening his hold on her with his wings. "I love you, Era. Don't make me lose you because of my mistake," he whispered, placing his forehead near the back of her head.

"Hm?" he heard Era mutter a bit as he felt her shift a bit in his arms. He loosened his grip a bit and looked at her. "Yusei? Is everything alright?" She then paused. "My Spell Energy…"

"You were trying to hide it again, weren't you?" he asked sternly.

Era looked down. "Maybe," she answered in a nearly silent whisper. "How did you know?"

"When I woke up, you were getting pale again," Yusei explained. "Why do you keep trying to hide things like this from me?"

"I… don't want to put any more weight on your shoulders more than they already are," she answered.

"Era, you can't keep things like that from me. It'll only worry me more," he retorted. She looked at him nervously. "Please, Era. Trust me to help you and keep you safe." He pulled her in tight again. "No matter what's wrong, trust that I'll help you and be there for you, okay?"

"O-Okay," she agreed. "I trust you, Yusei. You know that I will always trust you with everything."

Yusei kissed her forehead and whispered, "Good." Despite wanting to stay like that for a bit longer, he knew they couldn't stay like that for too much longer. So he slowly unwrapped Era from his hold and helped her up with him.

Era changed back into her human form, staying in her typical human clothing. Yusei changed to his human form, and changed out of his nightly clothes which he was wearing and into his normal clothes.

Yusei looked at her again. She was looking down, like she was lost in thought again. "Are you sure everything is really okay?" he asked her and she looked at him. He crossed his arms and stated sternly, "Okay, I thought we just agreed you weren't going to hide anything from me because I can tell when you are and want to help you." She looked back down. Yusei brought his arms back to his sides and gently asked, "What's bothering you now, Era?"

"I…" she stopped. He gave her prodding eyes. Yusei's eyes shined over, shocking Era. _'Why did his eyes shine over? That should only happen when an angel is trying to make a point,'_ she thought. "Another thing happened while you were dueling Andre. When Yue came to see me."

That caught Yusei's attention. "What?" he asked.

"According to Yue, your father came to the Guardian Council at our lord's command," Era explained. She was going to continue but stopped, obviously nervous.

"Why?" Yusei asked.

"Your father told Yue, Myla, May, Cornelia, Kylie, and Beyta that if they ever had a chance to see me, to give me… this," she stated and held out a letter.

"Have you read it?" Yusei asked and she nodded. "What's it say?"

Era looked away a bit. "You… should read it yourself," she replied vaguely.

Yusei raised an eyebrow confused and took the letter. He unfolded it carefully before reading it to himself: " _Dear Era,_

 _It has been so long since we have spoken. The last time we did, I had made you promise to protect Yusei through everything. Since I was released from Momentum after the Dark Signers were defeated, I have been working under the Crimson Dragon and helping him. When I heard Yusei was made an angel, I knew there wasn't a way for you to protect him any longer without putting you and the heart and power of the Crimson Dragon at grave risk. So as a friend, I am telling you that you don't have to protect Yusei any longer. Let Yusei do his job for the Crimson Dragon and let him do his job for protecting his mate. You don't need to anymore. Thank you for keeping your promise and helping me through everything, Era._

 _\- Professor Hakase Fudo_ "

"Era…" Yusei muttered as he finished.

"I'm not needed anymore," she stated sadly.

"That's not true at all," Yusei retorted. "You'll always be needed. If by anyone, I need you." Era looked at him. "Era, I may not need you to protect me, but I do need you here with me."

"Yusei..." she muttered.

"I'll always need you, Era. So don't think you're not needed anymore, because it's not true," Yusei told her. She gave him a small, comforted grin. He held out his hand for her to grab. "Come on," he called gently. She slowly took hold of his hand and he directed her out.

The two angels walked out of the room and down the stairs. Bruno was cooking an egg but Jack and Crow weren't anywhere in sight.

"Hey, Bruno," Era called and the amnesiac man looked at her, "where's Jack and Crow?"

"Jack went out for coffee. Crow headed out early to do some practicing. He actually looked really motivated," he explained.

Yusei and Era looked at each other and nodded, slightly confusing Bruno. Yusei then told Bruno, "Crow might be getting into some trouble. We're going to make sure he stays safe."

"What kind of trouble exactly?" Bruno asked.

"We'll find out for sure when we help him," Yusei answered. Bruno gave a small, but still confused nod of acceptance and the two angels took off with that.

. . .

Crow was speeding down the highway, approaching a turn. _'I can do more!'_ he thought. He began to curve around the turn when a shadowy figure appeared in front of him. But just before he crashed into the figure, he did notice something.

The collision sent the bird named man and his duel runner flying into the air, out of control. Crow went flying down the highway. But just as he was about to hit the ground, he felt someone wrap their arms from under him. They slid on the ground to a stop.

The person let Crow go and he slowly sat up, stammering, "W-What… happened?" He looked at the person who caught him as they sat up. "Era?!"

"Are you okay, Crow?" she replied.

"I should be, but you're not," he answered pointing to her right shoulder.

Era looked at it confused while Yusei landed and hurried over. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely and a small piece of metal was dug into the flesh.

"Era, I told you to let me handle this," Yusei reminded her, stern and sounding frustrated.

"I know, I just…" she stopped.

"We'll talk about this later. For now, hold still," he responded.

Yusei grabbed the bloody piece of metal and quickly yanked it out. Era whimpered and flinched a bit, but didn't move much as instructed. Yusei threw the blood covered piece of metal away and placed a hand on the injury hard. Blood covered his hand slightly, but he didn't bother to pay it any mind as he used a spell to stop the bleeding for thirty minutes. After that, Yusei knew she would need actual bandages to keep it from getting worse. He then began to do a quick scan for any internal damage.

"Got anything worse?" Crow asked.

"From what I can tell, the metal trimmed a bit of bone off and the crash itself just got into the deeper muscle. Other than that, it seems fine," Yusei explained. He looked at Crow. "Crow, you're hurt, too."

"Huh?" he responded and moved a bit, only to cry out as pain shot up his right arm. He looked at his shoulder and gasped. Part of the bone had its position changed a bit.

Yusei sighed. "Let me take a look at it, Crow," he stated. He carefully moved to Crow and touched his shoulder. Crow winced. "Stay still for a moment, okay? This won't hurt while I check to see whether I can work with this or not." Crow nodded and Yusei began the scan. He was soon done. "Fortunately, it's just a dislocation which means I can use a pain relief spell and pop it back into place. But the bad side is that you won't be able to use this arm for a while."

"How long is 'a while'?" Crow asked alert and worried.

"I'm not sure. I'll be taking Era to the hospital to get her arm checked out. I'll take you, too, so we can find out how long it'll probably be before you'll be able to use it again," Yusei explained. "But first we should put it back in place. I'll use a pain relief spell to dull the pain, alright?" Crow nodded and Yusei activated the spell. Crow relaxed a bit as the pain was released. Before Crow knew what was next, he felt pressure and his shoulder bone move but no pain. "It's back in place. But we should still get it checked out just in case."

"Right," Crow agreed. They looked at Era who seemed stressed and focused. Yusei turned and began to focus as well. Yusei then bolted to his feet, alert and tense. "What's going on, Yusei?"

Era stood up and said as a demon came into view, "You're about to meet the recently appointed King of the Underworld." Crow quickly stood up. She then called to Jack and Bruno mentally, _"Jack, Bruno, get to the highway nearing the entrance to Satellite. Get Crow out of here. You need to hurry."_

" _Bruno talked to me about what you and Yusei told him. We were already searching the highways for you three. We are about five minutes from that area,"_ Jack responded.

" _Why do you sound so worried?"_ Bruno asked.

" _Brehnam is closing in on us, Crow's duel runner is down, Crow's shoulder was just popped back into place, and Yusei had to yank a small piece of metal from my shoulder. What shouldn't I be worried about?"_ Era replied.

" _We got it. We'll be there in two minutes,"_ Jack stated before going silent. Era turned to the demon who landed and changed into a more humanoid form.


	39. The Battle

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 39: The Battle

"Brehnam…" she heard Yusei growl while holding her behind him protectively.

" _Just calm down, Yusei. He won't touch me,"_ Era told her mate in Angelic.

Without taking his eyes off the smirking demon, he responded, _"Do you think I'll be able to relax with him so close to you?"_

Era sighed. _"No, I don't,"_ she answered. She noticed Jack and Bruno stop to the side and gestured for Crow to join them. He was about to go, seeing no good reason that would make Era allow him to stay, but a couple demons blocked his path. "Brehnam, let him leave!"

"Why should I?" he asked with a devious smirk.

"Because he has no part in the hatred you have for me and Era," Yusei answered.

"But wouldn't your friends want to know what you two have been hiding from them?" Brehnam asked. He got closer to the two angels but Yusei immediately pushed Era behind him. "One of which our little angel here is hiding within her body."

"What's he talking about?" Crow asked.

"Were you ever going to tell them?" Brehnam asked Era. She stayed silent, only giving a glare as a response. He laughed and looked at Yusei. "How much longer do you think you'll be able to keep your mate safe?"

"Mate?" Bruno repeated.

"Yusei! What's he talking about?!" Jack called over.

"We can explain better later, guys," Era replied.

Suddenly, Brehnam flipped behind Era and Yusei. The male mate immediately shot a ball of light at Brehnam's head. The demon, however, was able to dodge it and tried to grab Era but Yusei pulled her away, millimeters from being touched.

"You're not getting her, Brehnam. Get that through your head!" Yusei told the demon king, angrily and protectively.

"You will get separated from your mate, Yusei. For good. And you have two options of which you will have to choose for your mate's fate," Brehnam informed them and the two angels tensed. "One, she will come with me to the Underworld again and will be my little, pampered pet. Or, I can kill her and the child."

"Child?" Crow repeated and the other two seemed thoroughly shocked and confused at that point.

Era glanced at him for a moment before turning back to Brehnam. The male angel and the demon king just eyed and glared at each other, as if waiting for their opponent to make a move.

"Brehnam, why are you even out here during the day?" she asked. "Demons are at their weakest when they are in light."

"And angels are at their weakest when they are in dark. Yet you still go out during the depths of night, hunting down demons," he replied. He looked back at Yusei. "Yusei, why don't we settle this in one final battle?" The angel gave the demon full attention but kept his eyes at a glare. "See who is truly stronger, worthy of having your precious Era."

"I'm not putting Era on the line for anything, Brehnam," Yusei stated. He pushed Era back a bit farther behind him. It was then a dome of light wrapped its way to covering Era.

" _Yusei!"_ she yelled in Angelic.

" _I'll finish this, Era. It's the best way for me to know you're safe,"_ he responded.

" _Yusei, these other demons are powerful. And you know they won't let Brehnam fight you alone,"_ Era retorted. _"You won't win this one. Don't make me lose you, Yusei. Please."_

" _I won't,"_ he responded before taking to the air quickly followed by Brehnam. His three other friends called for him to stop, but he didn't.

Era tried throwing her weight against the light, but all it did in response was ripple. _'Why am I even trying to break a Light Barrier Spell?'_ she thought. _"Nothing can bring down that spell except the caster.'_ She punched her fist into the wall of the dome in aggravation.

"Era!" Crow called and she looked as the three humans approached her. "What're you doing?! Use a spell to get to use!"

"Not that easy, you guys. This is a Light Dome Spell. Nothing and no one can break it down or lower it, except for the caster. It's almost like a demon cage, but it's a spell that traps everything and everyone. I can't get out," she explained. "If a demon were in here, throwing their body against the walls would kill them. Angels are fine because we're made up of light."

"What about humans?" Bruno asked.

"Depending on the amount of energy the caster put into the spell, it could either burn or disintegrate humans," she explained further and they went wide eyed in worry. "And even though I can't tell, I can bet you anything, Yusei put a lot of energy into this spell. And that only means he has a lot less energy to give for fighting."

They looked up at where Yusei dodged an attack sent at him by Brehnam. The demons were just hovering in a circle to keep Yusei cornered.

' _Maybe I can do something,'_ Era thought. She silently and subtly sent a communication through her locket, hoping that someone she knew would come in time. Once the message was sent, she turned back to the battle, worry clear on her features.

The male angel watched around him carefully as all the demons eyes studied him, waiting for him to make his next move. Light began to surround Yusei, slowly morphing into two spinning disks around him which created an atom like design with Yusei as the nucleus. He released the blast and it hit all the demons. The blast was powerful enough to kill the other demons but Brehnam was left hovering, but just barely.

"You want to play rough, Yusei?" Brehnam asked with a smirk. "We'll get rough." He shot a dark pulse wave at Yusei. It went by so fast that it hit Yusei square in the chest, forcing the angel back a few meters. Yusei's chest was steaming from the assault but he seemed fine for the most part. But, Era knew all too well that Yusei was hiding a lot of it.

Brehnam sent another attack which Yusei, thankfully, dodged. The demon was obviously running low on his own energy, as he went to attack Yusei physically. Brehnam went to punch Yusei but the angel caught the demon's hand just before it hit. But steam was also rolling off from the contact between the two conflicting energies within each side.

That was when a bolt of light shot between the two, separating them. They looked up to see an angel fly in between them. "Come on, Yusei! You just don't know when to give up, do you?" asked the angel.

"May?" Yusei replied. "What're you doing here?"

"Era sent me a communication of this little problem going on here," she informed. "Did you really think I would let you go against Brehnam of all demons alone?"

"This is between me and Yusei, angel!" Brehnam yelled. "You have no right to interfere."

"I have every right to interfere, Brehnam. You're not my superior in any way," May retorted. She looked at Yusei. "For you though, since I'm on the Guardian Council, I am your superior. So right now, I think you let Era out of that dome so she can come up here and stop worrying about you."

Yusei rolled his eyes but released the spell. As soon as it was gone from around Era, she bolted up to Yusei and wrapped her arms around him time.

"Easy, Era," he whispered.

"Don't do that again," she responded. "You have no idea how worried I was!"

"We'll talk about this when Brehnam's dealt with," Yusei assured her. They looked at the demon king who had a glare. Both Era and May shot a light ball at Brehnam which hit him in the chest. Brehnam was sent flying back and a bit of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Get out of here, Brehnam," he ordered. "You can leave now and we can fight at fair terms another day, or you can die here. It's up to you." Brehnam glared before disappearing.

Era released a breath she didn't know she was holding before turning to Yusei. "Why would you even do that, Yusei?!" she asked.

"I needed to be sure you were safe and to try to make sure you were safe from Brehnam forever," Yusei explained.

"Yusei, your stubbornness to protect Era is only going to get the _both_ of you hurt one day," May stated. "Just try to listen to Era about all this, Yusei. I know you want to protect her. But if you were killed, what would Era be able to do about Brehnam?" He paused. "Era would probably be frozen in shock long enough for Brehnam to get her and your friends wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Yusei looked down.

"You may be powerful, Yusei. But you also need to keep in mind the consequences that could become reality if the wrong decision is made," Era told him. "Do you understand what we're saying?"

Yusei sighed. "Yeah," he agreed.

"Good," she answered. "We should probably get back down to Jack, Crow, and Bruno."

"We still need to get you and Crow to the hospital for your injuries," Yusei stated.

"I'm fine, Yusei," Era responded. "Crow, yes. But I don't really need to. It'll heal on its own."

"Fine," he gave in. He knew that with the rapid healing that angels had, it shouldn't be too long before it seals up. It didn't seemed like it needed stitches because the metal was so thin, but it was still bleeding badly.

They flew down and landed. "Yusei, what were you thinking?" Jack asked.

"I was thinking of keeping Era safe," he answered.

"By putting yourself at risk like that?" Crow responded. He moved his arm only to grab his shoulder.

"We'll talk about this once your shoulder's checked out," Era stated.

"What about you, Era?" Bruno asked looking at the injury.

"I'll be fine," she answered.

"Alright," he agreed but seemed a little reluctant.

Yusei, May, and Era flew in the air, Yusei sticking close to Era. Crow rode behind Bruno and Jack took his duel runner. A mechanic had come and taken Crow's runner to be fixed.

At the doctor's, Crow got his arm checked out while a couple nurses practically forced Era to get her shoulder wrapped in bandages at the very least. After a while, Akiza and the twins came to meet the guys, May, and Era.

"We heard Crow got into an accident," Akiza stated.

"What happened?" Luna asked.

"Crow crashed into something and dislocated his shoulder. Yusei put it back in place and we're just waiting to hear how long it'll probably be before he can use the arm again," Era explained.

"Era took some of the hit for Crow," May commented. "If she didn't, I nearly a hundred percent sure Crow would be in a lost worse shape."

"What happened to Era then?" Leo asked.

Era showed her bandaged area. "I got scraped pretty badly and a thin piece of metal got into my shoulder. But it should be healed in about a week," she explained and recovered it.

The doctor and Crow walked out. "I see someone relocated Crow's shoulder, am I correct?" the doctor asked.

"I did," Yusei stated.

"You helped us a great deal with that. He just shouldn't use that arm until it's fully healed," the doctor informed.

"How long will that be?" Era asked.

"It should be fully healed within a month," the doctor answered.

"But the prelims are in three days!" Akiza exclaimed.

Crow began to beg the doctor to let him participate in the tournament, but the doctor refuses. The angered Crow and he moved to take his cast off, only to cry out from the pain.

"Crow!" Yusei called followed by Jack.

"Crow, stop," Era called gently. "You'll just make it worse."

"Why? Why now? What am I going to tell the nerds?" Crow muttered as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

. . .

Era was sitting to the side, talking with May, while Jack and Crow were discussing what they were going to do now that Crow was out of action.

Bruno came downstairs, "You'll lose life points if you continue with only two players," he stated.

"We can't afford that," Yusei responded.

"Then I'll participate," Akiza chimed in and they looked at her. "I'm a part of Team 5D's too. And I have my own duel runner." Crow began to walk out and Akiza called, "Crow, wait."

"Shut up!" Crow yelled. "You don't know how I am feeling right now!" He then walked out with that.

"Akiza, don't take anything he just said to heart. Remember, Crow loves dueling with everything he has. He had been looking forward to participating in this tournament for a while," Era told her. "He just needs time right now."

"Right," she agreed.

. . .

That night, Era and Yusei were flying around. May had to go back as she had her job as a guardian and the two mates accepted.

"You know, we never got a chance to explain to them about us," Yusei stated.

"They'll be talking to us about it tomorrow," Era responded. "I can guarantee you that."

"How are we going to explain it to them? Especially about you being pregnant," Yusei asked.

"I'm… not really sure, Yusei," she answered.

Yusei sighed. "We'll find a way to tell them," he stated.

"Crow's got a serious internal battle in him," she stated.

"I know," Yusei agreed. "But he'll push through it." Era nodded slowly, though it was obvious she was still unsure, and they turned back to scouting for demons

. . .

The next day, Jack, Bruno, Yusei, and Era were on their duel runners (Era behind Yusei) searching for Crow and Akiza.

"Where are they?" Era wondered.

"I'm not sure," Yusei answered.

Era began to focus when she heard something. "Head to the practice tracks!" she exclaimed.

Yusei focused and nodded. He let Bruno and Jack know what they found in terms of hearing and where the two Signers were. They were quick to arrive together and they came in to see Crow drilling Akiza, just as Akiza and Yusei were after the duel against Andre.

As Akiza passed by, she flashed Crow a thumbs up. They all turned to each other as the approaching group stopped in front of the two.

"You can really worry a person, Crow," Era stated with a small smile. Crow nodded.


	40. The Truth Underneath

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 40: The Truth Underneath

Third Person POV

Later that day, Yusei was driving on his duel runner with Era sitting behind him, holding on tight. Yusei looked behind him and at Era. She seemed tense and her mind obviously on something else.

"Era, is something wrong?" he asked her. She looked at her, confusion on her face. "You were tense and spaced out. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're a bad liar, Era. How many times do I have to tell you that you can't hide anything from me until you stop trying to?" Yusei asked sternly. His mate looked down, shame and worry on her face. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Jack and Crow both told us that by tonight, we had to tell them what Brehnam was talking about. I'm just not sure how I'll be able to explain it," Era explained.

"If you want, I'll do all the talking," he responded.

"Yusei, no. I can't put all that weight on you. Just as you have to be there for me because I'm your mate, I have to be there for _you_ because you're my mate," she retorted.

"Era…" Yusei muttered.

She set her head against his back. "Remember, we'll always be together," Era reminded her mate, "so don't try to do things on your own." She paused before slowly adding, "Not like I did."

Yusei was about to question her last sentence when Crow's face appeared on Yusei's duel runner monitor. Yusei looked at Crow and greeted, "What's up, Crow?"

"Is Era with you?" the said man asked. Yusei nodded. "Good. Jack, Bruno, and I are ready and waiting for you to explain what Brehnam was talking about. Now get back to the garage!" Crow hung up with that.

Yusei sighed before looking at Era who looked extremely nervous. "It'll be alright, Era," he reassured her, making her look at him. "I'll be right by you."

"Thank you, Yusei," she responded. He gave her a small, comforting grin. He then turned his full attention to getting to the garage.

Era's POV

When we finally arrived, we entered the garage where Bruno, Jack, and Crow were waiting.

Before Yusei and I could even utter a sound, Jack stated, "Alright, time to spill it. What did Brehnam mean when he called you 'mates'?"

"Era and I didn't really know about it until she was taken from the Underworld and I went after her," Yusei began. "According to what we were told, when a male angel wraps his wings around a female, it's a sign of protection and a sign that they're now mates. And after one of the scouting, I did wrap my wings around Era unconsciously, without knowing we would be made mates as well."

"But a male angel doesn't really choose to wrap his wings around the female," I added. "He naturally does so."

"So what does being mates mean for you two?" Bruno asked.

"It's quite similar to how demons have their attachments," I explained. "It's an angel's symbol… of marriage." The last part was quiet, but the others still heard it.

"M-Marriage?!" Crow repeated. I looked down, slightly nervous. The bird named man was shocked with how nervous I seemed about admitting it. "Why do you seem like you're so- I don't know- nervous to admit that?"

"Would it be easy for you to admit?" Yusei replied for me, probably knowing well that I wouldn't really know how to answer.

"But is it the same for those who a bisexual or one of those other types of love attractions?" Bruno asked.

"I would assume so," I answered. "I'm not really sure."

"What about Brehnam mentioning something about a child?" Jack asked.

"We didn't know this until I was told by the Crimson Dragon and the first Guardian Angel of Light when Era first went into her coma," Yusei stated.

"Wait, you met the first Guardian Angel of Light?" Crow asked. Yusei nodded. "How?"

"Her spirit stayed in the Afterlife to watch over the angels that came after her own to see if they made it alright," Yusei explained.

"Wow," Bruno responded.

"So what did she tell you that had something to do with a child?" Crow asked.

"When a male becomes mates with a female, the male unintentionally sends his DNA into her, similar to an imprinting process. Only this imprinting process does something else to the female angel," Yusei began but stopped.

"Alright, what happens?" Jack pushed, getting restless with all that was being kept from them.

"With his DNA sent into me, I was gifted with a… child," I answered in a small whisper.

"You don't mean you're…" Jack trailed off from the shock.

I gave a small nod. "I'm… pregnant," I answered slowly.

"But you don't look like you are. You haven't acted like it," Crow responded.

"According to the first Guardian Angel of Light, angels don't have the same side effects that humans do. In fact, this has only ever happened to the Guardian Angel of Light," Yusei explained.

"Wow…" Bruno muttered.

"Is this more of a gift or a curse to you?" Jack asked.

"Both," I answered. "It's using my Spell Energy to keep itself alive while it's forming inside me."

"Is that why you've been so weak and went into that coma?" Crow asked.

I nodded. "As much as it is amazing to be able to have a child of my own, it's almost killing me for it," I stated.

"That's hard," Bruno stated.

"Don't worry, Era. I'll help you," Yusei told me. "I already promised you I would be with you no matter what happens."

"Thank you, Yusei," I responded.

"Do you have any idea before it comes out?" Jack asked.

"Neither the Crimson Dragon or the first Guardian Angel of Light said and I didn't ask. So there's no telling if it's the same time span as a human or if it's longer or shorter time span," Yusei answered. "We'll just have to be ready." The guys nodded in acceptance.

I, however, was looking down in worry, so Crow assured me, "We'll be there to help you, too, Era." I looked at my human friends. "We promise."

"Thanks, guys," I responded. "That means a lot to hear." They all grinned and nodded in acceptance.


	41. The Angel's Memoirs

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 41: The Angel's Memoirs

Era's POV

I was working with Yusei on helping him edit and adjust Akiza's duel runner for the tournament. Akiza, Jack, Crow, Bruno, and the twins were by us, just hanging around. The twins were talking on their own and they seemed to have both confusion and interest on their faces.

"Hey, Era," Luna called and I looked at her, "I was wondering, when you first met Yugi Muto, were you like what you are now?"

Everyone looked at me as I grinned at her. "Actually, I was quite different than what I am now. It took quite some time of hanging around Yugi and his friends before I even began to acknowledge their friendships with me," I explained. "Even during Duel Kingdom, I was quite a lone angel."

"You, Era?" Crow responded and I nodded. "What was it like back then, anyway?"

"Why don't I show you?" I suggested before activating a spell that blinded them all and was going to take them into my memories.

Third Person POV

Yusei and the others opened their eyes to find themselves in a classroom. They looked around and saw Era watching some people. She was in a school uniform. One was a boy with brown hair, one was a brown haired girl also in a school uniform like Era's, and the other two, the group recognized. Joey Wheeler and Yugi Muto.

"Joey looked so cute when he's thinking," the brown haired boy joked.

"Back off, Tristan!" Joey retorted.

"What're you playing?" Tristan asked.

"We're playing duel monsters," Joey answered.

"Drooling monsters?" Tristan responded.

"Duel monsters, nimrod!" Joey retorted and pushed the brown haired man away.

"These two have been at it for hours," the girl stated. "Joey's starting to get the hang of it, but Yugi's like an expert."

"I got it!" Joey exclaimed. "I play Kagemusha of the Blue Flame (Attack 800/ Defense 400)."

"Each number has an attack number and defense number, and the first person to eliminate their opponent's life points wins the duel," the girl continued to explained.

"Try that," Joey taunted to Yugi, pleased with his move.

"It's a good move, but not good enough," Yugi responded as he placed Blackland Fire Dragon, which had 1500 attack and 800 defense, on the field.

"Aw, man! That move totally wipes me out!" Joey complained.

"Yusei, where are we?" Luna asked.

"I think we're in Era's memories," he answered shocking them.

"Wow, Joey, you really stink at this game," Tristan commented bringing them back to the scene at hand.

"You played alright, Joey," Yugi reassured. "I just have better cards. It's because my grandfather owns a game shop where I get all my good cards."

"Your own game shop?! Let's go there right now!" Joey exclaimed excited.

"Hold up a second," called Era. Everyone looked at her confused as she walked over. "Let me see your deck, Joey." The man gave her a confused look but handed over the deck, nonetheless. Era looked over it while the others watched silently. But it wasn't long before she sighed and said, "Just like I thought. Barely any spell or trap cards in there. It's ninety-percent monsters."

"How did you recognize that?" Yugi asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice," Era replied. "You were his opponent, after all. All he really played was monster cards. I didn't see or hear any spell or traps played."

"You were watching?" Joey asked.

"You dueled with your heart which is truly helpful in any duel. But you also need to duel with mental strength and wisdom," Era told him. She turned to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me, there is some business I must take care of. But I will be keeping an eye on you and willing to help you guys whenever you need it. If you do, just call my name."

"What business are you talking about?" the girl asked.

"My business is dangerous and life risking, Téa. It does not concern ones so innocent as you," Era responded, still not looking at them.

"Huh? Why are you doing it, then, if it is so dangerous?" another boy with white hair asked.

"Because it's been my job longer than you've lived up to," Era answered.

"You're confusing me," Joey stated.

"Yugi's grandfather has a special, rare card that might interest you. It wouldn't touch it because it means so much to him, but it can give Joey an idea on how powerful a card can really get," Era stated before walking out.

"She definitely acted different," Yusei commented.

Suddenly, a flash of light blinded them for a moment. But it wasn't too much longer before they found themselves in a dark space. They looked around before they saw Maximillion Pegasus facing off against Yugi Muto with Era standing next to Yugi.

"How could you possibly have entered the Shadow Realm?" Pegasus asked Era.

"Shadow Realm?" Crow repeated.

"You can't keep me out of here and away from helping Yugi, Pegasus," Era responded. "Just as how you can't read my mind, you have no control of me. And I'll make sure you don't read Yugi's mind for the rest of this Shadow Game."

"Shadow Game?" Yusei repeated shocked.

Another flash of light blinded them again before they found themselves on the top of a blimp where a depraved looking man was facing against Era. The man drew a card and gave an evil, twisted laugh.

"Your time is up, Era," the man commented. Era tensed. "Do you know what I hold in my hand?" He flipped it to show it as the Monster Reborn spell card. "My Monster Reborn."

"Why is that card so bad?" Jack asked.

"So I activate Monster Reborn!" the man called. "Come forth, my almighty beast. The great Winged Dragon of Ra!" The watching group gasped as the creature of legend appeared on the field. Fire covered its body giving it the impression of a Phoenix. "Emerge in your unstoppable Phoenix mode!"

"Nothing's unstoppable, Marik," Era responded.

"Then you might want to stop this attack," the man, now known as Marik, stated. "Winged Dragon of Ra, end her pathetic life!"

"I activate Ending Battle!" Era defended. Marik growled as the attack was sent back from Era and his dragon was put into defense mode. "Ending Battle makes all battle damage I would take to zero for this turn and changes the monster that attacked when this card was activated change into defense mode."

"Nice defense, Era!" called Joey's voice and that's when the other group noticed Yugi and the others watching. Along with the famous Seto Kaiba and his brother Mokuba Kaiba.

Yusei also noticed how Kaiba was watching Era. The company owning man's eyes showed intrigue, interest, and a feeling Yusei couldn't decipher.

Era nodded at Joey. "And let's not forget, Marik, now that it's the end phase of your turn, Winged Dragon of Ra goes back to the graveyard," Era told her opponent.

"You may have escaped being sent to wander the Shadow Realm for all eternity this time, but you won't make it out next time," Marik stated as his dragon disappeared.

"We'll see," Era responded.

The Signer group was blinded yet again before they found themselves in a temple area. Around them and beneath their feet were thousands of tablets with people in them. In front of them, though, was Seto Kaiba, Yugi, and Era facing off against a man with teal hair and two separate colored eyes.

"Tell me, Yugi, would you really protect Era if you had the chance?" the man asked.

"Of course," Yugi answered. "She's one of my friends." Yusei noticed Era watch Yugi, nervousness in her eyes.

"Is the feeling mutual?" the man asked. Yugi looked at Era and they stared at each other for a moment.

Era then looked back at the man before saying, "It is mutual. I may not be able to feel like humans anymore, but I can still make some sort of attachment. And though I know in the end it'll only hurt, I do consider these people my friends."

' _This must be when Era first accepted having friends,'_ Yusei thought.

"I play the spell, Harmonia Ties!" Era called. "Now your monster can't attack for two turns, Dartz."

"I activate Magic Jammer!" the man, Dartz, retorted. "This negates and destroys your spell card."

Era looked at Yugi for a split second. "I set one face down and end my turn," she finished.

"No monsters? One face down? Are you wanting to get attacked?" Dartz asked.

"I would tell you because…?" she replied and he glared.

"If you're going to play that game… Shunoros, attack her directly!" Dartz ordered.

That's when Yusei noticed the field along with everyone else. "Yusei's what's with the field?" Akiza asked. "Aside from all the people printed tablets."

"I'm not sure," he answered.

"Era!" Yugi called bringing the attention back to the duel. The attack hit her and Era fell to her knees. The field spell which was a green, glowing circle began to close in around her.

"Yugi, Seto, my card is the difference for this. Use it well," she told them before the circle stopped closing it as it was close enough and it glowed bright before Era fell unconscious.

"What… was that?" Crow asked before they were blinded again. When they emerged from the light, Crow stated, "I'm really hating light right now."

They looked out where they were. It had a universe like sky with an ancient village like ground surrounding. The Signers and Leo were floating in the air, watching from above. In front of them was a giant monster bonded to a human with more smaller monsters with other roman like dressed people. On their arms were launcher like gauntlets while on their waists were tube like containers.

They looked on the opposing side to them to see Era, Yugi, Tristan, Téa, and a small, old man that could only be Solomon Muto. They also had launchers on their arms and tubes on their waists. They grabbed two capsule like tubes from their waists.

"Load capsules!" the friends called as they put the tubes in the launchers. "Fire!" Light erupted and shot out from the launchers' tubes and it wasn't long before monsters formed from the light.

"What the…?!" Crow exclaimed.

"What in…?!" Jack followed.

And their shock only increased as Yugi bonded together with his Black Luster Soldier. The monsters attacked each other. They immediately noticed that when one of the monsters got hurt, Era and all of the controllers got hurt.

"Yusei, any ideas?" Akiza asked.

"None," he answered.

A blinding light took their vision again. When it dimmed, they were back in the garage with Era watching them.

"Seems like I accidently made you see some other memories," she stated.

"Did you really go through all that?" Leo asked.

"Every moment. As well as other situations that you didn't see," Era answered.

"What was that last memory we saw?" Luna asked.

"Hm? Oh, that's when Yugi and all of us got stuck in the world of Capsule Monsters," she answered. "It's was like a twisted Shadow Game."

"What is a Shadow Game?" Yusei asked.

"It's actually not that different from a Shadow Duel," Era explained shocking them. "The only real difference is that depending on the person who starts it, the rules of the Shadow Game could be different."

"That's interesting," Jack stated.

"To think there would be dangers like back then…" Akiza added.

"That's in the past, though. Right now, we need to be ready for the dangers here,  
Era stated.

"Like Brehnam and Team New World," Yusei mentioned. She nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about that too much. If Yugi and those other guys can handle all those other people, we can too," Crow stated.

Yusei grinned in agreement with a nod followed by everyone else. He looked at Era though who grinned at Crow's words and thought, _'And I'm going to make sure that Era doesn't get into that kind of trouble again once Brehnam is out of the way.'_


	42. The Time Jump

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

 **Hey, people! Sorry it's been so long. My computer's hard drive died on me so I've been using my dad's computer to write this. This is the Bonds Beyond Time movie bit in the story. Just like I did in Celestial Signer: Meklords Unleashed, this is just going to be a small amount of chapters in the story. Though it is a crossover to some extent, there's no reason to make it its own story when it's so short, so I'm just integrating it into this one story. Don't be too harsh about it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter(s)!**

Chapter 42: The Time Jump

Era's POV

 _I stood as if I was a ghost, transparent to the eyes but I could feel the heat of the surrounding fire and sweat dripped down my face. I watched my surroundings go up in flames by attacking dragons. And at the center of the attacks, a figure jumped across the rooftops dodging attack after attack. One barely missed him before he jumped through a building window._

 _He fell out of the smoke and landed on the ground. I immediately recognized him. "Jaden?!" I exclaimed aloud but he didn't hear me._

" _Those were some close calls," he said. He noticed Rainbow Dragon flying over and its mouth filled with power to attack. "Uh-oh, and I have a feeling they're about to get closer."_

 _It shot the attack at Jaden who placed Neos on his duel disk. Neos became real and blocked the attack with his arms crossed like Jaden's. He glared at the masked man standing on a roof behind the dragons._

" _Jaden Yuki, the duelist who they say can speak with the spirits," the man said._

" _I see my reputation precedes me," Jaden responded._

 _I noticed a spirit, Baron, show himself next to Jaden. "So he's the one behind all of this destruction," Baron said._

" _I'd say so, Baron, and it's pretty impressive too. I mean, wow. Bringing all of these duel monsters to real life?" Jaden responded. '_ Typical Jaden _,' I thought._

 _Yubel then showed herself. "Don't get too excited. He is trying to destroy you with them after all," she said._

" _Jaden, I've finished what I came here to do," the masked man said._

" _Say what?" Jaden retorted._

" _Say goodbye. Because I plan on finishing you off as well," the man said._

 _The man pulled out a card that lit up. A tower of light landed in front of Jaden and I. "Uh-oh, whatever's coming I doubt it's good," Jaden said._

 _I didn't know what was going to emerge from the light, but I had a bad feeling about it. And it shocked me as Stardust Dragon appeared on the field. "Stardust Dragon?!" I exclaimed._

" _Farewell, Jaden!" the man exclaimed._

. . .

I bolted to a sit-up position. I felt cold sweat dripping down my face. _'What… was that?'_ I thought. _'Who was that guy? Why did he have Stardust Dragon? And why was he attacking Jaden?'_ Two seconds later, Yusei's eyes snapped open.

He sat up and looked at me and probably noticed my sweat covered face and my alert eyes. "Era?" Yusei called, obviously confused and worried about me.

"It's… nothing," I told him getting up.

"It doesn't seem like nothing, Era," Yusei commented. "You need to learn you can't hide stuff from me. You won't be able to."

I looked down. "I know. It's just…" I stopped. Yusei stood up and walked to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And you keep having the nightmares about Zero Reverse."

"Yeah. I've only told Jack and Crow because I didn't want to worry you," Yusei asked. He sighed a bit, annoyance in his voice. "Don't try to change the topic."

"It's nothing. Really," I pushed.

"Era," he responded sternly.

"You want to head to the overlook?" I suggested.

"If you'll talk there, then fine," Yusei said and I nodded but I didn't look at him. We got dressed and Yusei convinced me to ride behind him on his runner.

When we got there, I stayed silent for a minute or two. But Yusei eventually spoke up, "Era, what was so bad about that nightmare you had? I can help."

I looked down in thought. _'I could tell him. If that masked man had Stardust Dragon, it would stand to reason he stole it from Yusei in a duel. Maybe it could make it so Yusei doesn't battle that man,'_ I thought before sighing defeated. "Alright. Remember how I told you about Jaden Yuki?" I began.

"Yeah?" Yusei replied, obviously curious to where it was going.

"Well, two dragons are shooting at him while he was running on top of a roof. I'm there. But it was like I was a ghost though I could feel the heat of the fire that was from the surrounding buildings. Cyber End Dragon and Rainbow Dragon were the ones attack Jaden. He narrowly dodged each attack that was thrown at him. When Jaden lands on the ground, Rainbow Dragon fires at him again. Jaden uses Neos to protect him. That's when the masked man begins to speak," I stopped.

"Masked Man?" Yusei repeated.

I nodded. "He talks to Jaden saying things like people say 'he can speak with the spirits'. Jaden stays perfectly calm as usual and talks to Baron who said the masked man was behind the destruction. Jaden, still being calm, said that he agreed and that it was impressive he was bringing the duel monsters to life. Yubel responded by saying 'the man was trying to destroy him after all'. Then the masked man said, 'I've finished what I came here to do'. When Jaden responded with 'what?', the man said to say goodbye because he was going to finish Jaden off. That's when he summons the monster," I explained further.

"What monster?" Yusei asked.

"Stardust Dragon," I answered bluntly. Yusei gasped in shock. "I have a bad feeling about all this. Yusei, if any masked figure comes and challenges you to a duel, don't bring out Stardust Dragon." They heard duel runners pull up but didn't pay give them any attention at the moment.

"Don't worry, Era," Yusei responded. "I won't let that happen."

"You still having bad dreams, guys?" Crow asked as he and Jack walked up behind us.

We turned to him. "If only they were just dreams," I replied.

"The past is past, Yusei. You need to let it go and embrace the future," Jack said.

"I agree. And you know, if I agree with Jack, I must really mean it," Crow agreed.

"And Era, how can your nightmares be real?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. But my intuition is saying whatever it is, it's coming… soon," I replied.

"I know what'll make you two feel better," Jack said. He and Crow tossed Yusei his helmet and Yusei's spare one to me.

"Come on, guys. Let's ride," Crow said.

"Alright," Yusei said with a grin. I nodded with a small grin myself. It was getting better to ride a duel runner. But I still was struggling to try to ride one myself.

We got on, with me behind Yusei again, and drove off. As we drove, I heard it. The scraping of metal on concrete. I looked behind us followed by Yusei.

"I've never seen that duel runner before," Jack commented as the duel runner came into view behind them.

"Or the duelist that's driving it," Crow added.

" _Yusei, that's him,"_ I told my mate. _"It's the masked man from my dream."_ He looked at me shocked.

The unknown rider flashed his lights signaling a challenge. "I don't believe it. He's challenging us to a duel," Jack said.

"If it's a duel he wants, it's a duel he'll get," Yusei said.

"Just don't use Stardust Dragon," I reminded.

"Why not, Era?" Crow asked.

"He wants Yusei Stardust Dragon," she answered.

"How you know that is uncertain to me. But we'll see how good he is without that dragon," the man said with a laugh.

"I'm not going to let you take my dragon," Yusei told the masked man. "So don't bother trying."

"We'll see about that," the man said.

"Era, you should probably get off right now," Yusei ordered.

"No," I immediately denied. "I need to see this to the end. I'm staying right here."

Yusei gave a small nod of acceptance. "Alright," he agreed. "Hold on tight and be careful." I nodded.

" _Duel Mode engaged,"_ said the voice as the duel began.

(A/N: Since the movie (or show bit or whatever you want to call it) doesn't show most of the duel, I'll skip to the end like it.)

An explosion knocked dust around as Yusei made an attack. He had Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in defense mode and Nitro Warrior (Attack 2800/ Defense 1800) in attack mode. He had two face downs as well. His life points stood at 1800.

The masked man had no monsters and two face downs himself. His life points stood at 2400.

"Why don't you bring out that Stardust Dragon? I know you want to," the masked man taunted.

"Because I'm not going to let you take it," Yusei retorted. "Now I think I'll finish this by attacking you with Nitro Warrior!" The man laughed.

"Why is he laughing?" Crow asked worried.

"I think we're about to find out," Yusei replied.

"I activate the trap Negate for Reward! This card negates your attack and allows me to pick a monster from your extra deck and summon it to the field," the man explained.

"What?!" Yusei exclaimed. The man laughed. "I activate Trap Jammer! This negates your trap and destroys it."

"Nope, in addition to its effect, it also negates the activation of all trap and spell cards," the masked man informed. "And I think I'll summon your Stardust Dragon!"

"Yusei…" I muttered, worried.

"I know, Era," he responded.

The man laughed as Stardust Dragon was forced to the field. It looked at Era with begging eyes. The man brought out a blank card.

"What's the blank card for?" Yusei asked.

It shot out a stream of four sided, card shaped light. I focused all of my power on deflecting the attack on Yusei's Stardust Dragon. A red force field surrounded the dragon as the attack came closer.

The attack quickly hit the force field and pressed on against it. "What's this?!" the masked man exclaimed.

"Era, be careful," Yusei warned. "That spell drains a lot of energy."

He was right. I was running low on energy but I still kept the force field up. "You're not going to take it!" I yelled.

The force field began to crack from the force of the card and my low energy. "Era, stop. You're using too much energy," Yusei told me.

"Jack, what's going on?" Crow asked his friend.

"I don't know," he replied.

Yusei's dragon began to beat its wings against the card pushing it back further. The man growled and his head shot forward. The card seemed to gain power and it became too much for Stardust Dragon and I. The shield shattered and Stardust Dragon was engulfed in a sphere made of thousands of cards.

"Stardust!" Yusei called.

The sphere glowed, swallowing his dragon before the sphere drained back into the blank card. Once it was completely in the card, it became a darker colored version of Stardust Dragon.

"What did…? Stardust Dragon it's…" Jack stuttered shocked.

"It's gone! It's stolen!" Crow exclaimed.

"But how?" Yusei asked.

"A great many things are possible," the man called to Yusei and I as he drove up beside us. "And now that I have the mighty Stardust Dragon, the demise of this era and time is one of those things."

"Who are you?" Yusei demanded angrily. The man laughed. He drove off faster than possible before disappearing in a flash of light. Yusei pulled to a stop. The others followed. "Stardust…" he trailed off sadly looking at her now empty card.

"Okay, let's head back to the garage. We need to talk about what just happened," Jack said.

I looked down sadly. _'I couldn't protect it. I'm sorry, Yusei…'_ I thought. I held on tight as Yusei turned with my friends and took off.


	43. The Times That Change

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 43: The Times That Change

Era's POV

Crow, Yusei, Jack, and I stood in the garage. "Will someone tell me what just happened?" Jack asked.

"I would but I don't know myself," Crow responded.

"I still can't believe he took Stardust," Yusei commented.

"The way he did so doesn't add up, either," I commented.

"I know," Yusei agreed.

"Hey, guys," came Akiza's voice. We looked up and saw her, Leo, and Luna entering.

"No offense, guys, but this really isn't the best time for a social call," Jack said.

"Who ever said this was social, Jack? We happen to be here on business," Leo retorted.

"Business? What's up?" Yusei asked.

"Leo and I were searching duel monsters history when we found this," Luna said handing Yusei a handle. He pressed a button and it showed an article of Yugi, his grandfather, and Maximillion Pegasus.

"Hey, I recognize that guy," Crow said.

"I should hope so. That's Maximillion Pegasus the chairman of Industrial Illusions. Also the guy who stole souls," Jack muttered the last part before saying louder and more clearly, "He's the creator of duel monsters."

"And look who's next to him," Crow said.

"Yugi Muto, the King of Games himself. They say he's the best duelist to have ever picked up a deck," Yusei said.

"Doesn't look so tough to me. But how could you with that dated haircut? But I admit, he's a dueling legend. What I would give to see Yugi duel back in his day," Jack said. "Like Era was able to."

"This is what you wanted to show us?" Yusei said.

I was silent. I didn't like this feeling I was getting. Something bad was happening at the moment, and I wanted to know what.

"No scroll over to the next page," Akiza said.

Yusei did so and everyone gasped. "Wait, Stardust Dragon?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"But that card didn't exist back then," Jack said.

"Exactly our point," Leo said.

Crow turned back to the article. "The article says that these dragons appeared one day and blasted all of Europe," Crow read.

"But I don't remember hearing about this. And this is a major historical event," I said.

"That's just it. This is new history. Somehow the past has changed," Akiza said.

"Wait," Yusei said. He tapped the screen. The masked duelist stood in the background tall and confident. "It's that duelist from before. The one who took Stardust Dragon." He turned to me.

A crumbling sound was heard from outside. I looked out the window. Black ash slowly fell from the sky like snow.

"What's going on outside?" Akiza asked.

We ran out, me reaching outside first. "Oh, no," I stated grimly.

"I don't like the looks of this, guys," Jack commented bluntly as we saw the building slowly crumble and vanish.

"Leo, what's happening?" Luna asked scared.

"Our city's vanishing," Leo answered.

"But why?" Akiza asked.

"Maybe I've seen one too many movies, but whenever something changes in the past, doesn't it also somehow change the future?" Jack guessed.

"Yeah, so?" Crow replied.

"If the past has changed that would mean that…" Yusei trailed off.

"The masked man was telling the truth. Our era, our period in time is meeting its end," I finished. The others looked at me.

Everyone's mark then lit up bright. The Signers' marks transferred to Yusei imprinting the Mark of the Crimson Dragon on his back. And out of all the marks, mine glowed the brightest.

"It's the Mark of the Crimson Dragon," Akiza said looking at the mark.

"And Era's marks is glowing so bright staring at it hurts," Luna said.

"And Yusei's powers are surging through his duel runners too," Leo commented.

I felt a presence calling to me and saw the Crimson Dragon next to Yusei's runner. The others were quick to notice as well.

" _Era, Yusei, you must hurry!"_ he told me.

We nodded. Yusei grabbed my hand. _"Ride behind me,"_ he told me.

" _No,"_ I refused. _"I'm flying this time."_

Yusei obviously gave in because he nodded. I changed and we took off, Yusei on his duel runner.

"What're you doing?" Akiza asked.

"I'm not sure but we need to go somewhere," I answered.

As we either drove or flew, the Crimson Dragon appeared before the two of us.

"I don't know where you're taking us but if it's somewhere that'll give us a chance to stop this, lead the way," Yusei told the fiery dragon.

He roared and Yusei and I entered a tunnel of light before disappearing.


	44. The Oldest of Friends

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 44: The Oldest of Friends

Third Person POV

"That's some dragon. Know where I could score one?" Jaden asked.

"Jaden Yuki, calm, cool, and collected to the very end. Now perish!" the masked man said. Stardust Dragon fought to try to stop itself. "Destroy him!" the man ordered.

The dragon roared as its mind was overrun by the man's power. It fired at Jaden and Neos. It hit Neos nearly destroying the duel monster.

"Neos!" Jaden called. The leftover attack hit him and he was sent into a pile of crumbled debris.

"Now finish him!" the man commanded.

Stardust Dragon reluctantly did so. Just as it was about to hit, the Crimson Dragon stopped the attack. From the flames of the dragon came Yusei and Era.

Yusei looked up. "My Stardust Dragon!" he exclaimed.

"Era!" Jaden called. She looked at him and nodded to him in greeting with a small smile.

"Yusei and Era. How you two followed me back in time I do not know. What I do know is it that it means nothing for you and Jaden. If you don't perish by my hand, the hands of time will do you in," the man said.

"Hands of what?" Jaden asked. The man laughed turning around.

"Wait, stop!" Yusei called.

The masked man drove off and disappeared in a flash of light. Era, Jaden, and Yusei stared at the spot where he disappeared for a moment. Eventually though, Era walked over to Jaden and helped him to his feet. Era got up to the roof from the pile of debris. Jaden sat down to the right of Yusei and Era.

"You took quite the hit there. Are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"I'm all good. Just a few scratches," Jaden replied.

"You're a tough kid. So you're Jaden?" Yusei asked.

"Yeah, you heard of me?" Jaden asked. "That man called you Yusei, right?" He nodded.

"Era's told me all about you," Yusei said.

"How do you know Era?" Jaden asked.

"Jaden, the me you're seeing right now comes from about fifty years after I last saw you," I told him.

"So you met Yusei fifty year from now?" Jaden asked.

"Pretty much," Yusei answered.

"I had promised his father I would protect him when he was a baby," I explained.

"Sounds like you, Era," Jaden stated with a grin. "But another time?"

" _Yes, Jaden, another time,"_ Baron stated.

"Yusei? Quit messing with me, you guys. Besides how would you guys know?" Jaden asked the two spirits.

" _We know because like you, they have a gift,"_ Yubel said.

" _A gift that connects them to the world of duel monster spirits,"_ Baron continued.

"They mean our marks," Era explained to the slightly confused Jaden.

Jaden looked at her and Yusei and saw the marks on their arms that they were revealing. "Well looks like we have something new in common, don't we?" Jaden asked.

"Yes, Jaden. Now tell us how this got started with you and the masked man," Yusei said.

"Some classmates of mine kept reporting their duel monsters cards were getting snatched. I went looking for the thief and found you know who," Jaden explained.

"Listen Jaden, I know we just met but believe me when I say we need to stop this man. Because if we don't life as you know it…" Yusei began but Era quickly finished it.

"Won't be as you know it. Our time, your time, it will all change. And it's a change that isn't for the better," Era said.

"Wait, are you saying you want me to team up with you two to take this dude down?" Jaden asked excitedly pulling a fist in front of his face.

"Yes, Jaden," Yusei answered with a grin.

"Okay, I am willing to help Era after all she's done with me. But how are we going to take him down? I mean the dude split," Jaden asked.

"I'm guessing he moved back in time. To the time where he makes his big move and changes history and alters the future forever," Era informed.

"Whoa, whoa. What do you mean 'changes history and alters the future'?" Jaden asked. He pulled out a laptop from his bag. "History hasn't changed. Here, I'll show ya. Let me check out the Domino City database and pull up a newspaper article that'll prove to you that history has…" He paused. "Completely changed!" We gasped as we read the article:

The title line: "TRAGEDY AT THE TOURNAMENT! PEGASUS MISSING!" and underneath that was: "Is Duel Monsters Over?"

"And not for the better. Why is this guy doing all of this?" Jaden asked.

"I don't know, but he's doing it as we speak," Era stated.

"Well, as long as I have Neos…" Jaden started but when he pulled out his card, the picture vanished. "Neos is gone!"

They looked around hearing crumbling noises. A tower fell in front of them, luckily not hitting the duel runner.

"And it's happening here too. Your era and time is crumbling away. First your duel monsters cards, now everything else," Yusei commented calmly but alert.

"What do we do now, guys?" Jaden asked.

"Now we move," Yusei said.

"Where?" Jaden asked.

Yusei and Jaden got on Yusei's runner and Era took to flight again. They went off with the Crimson Dragon taking them to the past. And Era had a feeling she knew exactly when.

. . .

Yugi and his grandfather, Solomon Muto, stood at the Domino City Duel Tournament. Looking around at all the excited duelists.

"This certainly is a good turn out," Solomon said.

"And it's no wonder why. The rumor is Pegasus himself will be here today," Yugi said.

The sound of a helicopter could be heard and everyone looked up. The helicopter landed and Pegasus stepped out.

"Greetings, everyone. It's wonderful to see you all but probably not nearly as wonderful for you to see me. So please, enjoy my splendor," Pegasus said. People cheered loud.

On top of a building, the masked man stood. He growled, "And enjoy your last moments, _Pegasus_." His final name was filled with venomous hate that could kill him if it were possible.

The three dragons flew over top the buildings as the clock hit noon. "Dragons!" people called out in amazement.

"Boy, my laser eye surgery sure makes those duel monsters holograms look real," Solomon said.

As the dragons hit the buildings and they crumbled away, Yugi said, "I don't think those are holograms, Grandpa."

"Move it," a man said as he push Yugi and Solomon in separate directions.

"Yugi!" Solomon called.

"Grandpa!" Yugi responded as he tried to push his way back from the running crowd.

"It's my worst fear. I've been upstaged," Pegasus said. He heard the crash of the building behind him. "Oh, no, the building," he cried as it landed on top of him.

As the minutes to hours passed by, Yugi woke up among the ruins. He looked around to find he was the only survivor. He noticed his grandfather's bandana and ran to it to pick it up before he screamed his name in sadness.

He heard a laugh from above and looked at the top of a building. "At last my work in complete! It took some doing but history is now forever changed. Changed so that duel monsters is no more!" the man exclaimed.

Yugi looked at him confused. Suddenly, a light caught his eye. He looked at it and just as he did, a red, fiery dragon slipped out of the light and enveloped the frightened Yugi.

The Crimson Dragon flew above a roof top. Yugi was thrown out and Yusei and Jaden skidded to a stop on his runner while Era landed. Yugi rubbed the back of his neck that had hit the corner of a concrete molding.

"Hey, are you okay?" Era asked running up to him followed by Yusei and Jaden.

He back away but Yusei said, "It's okay, Yugi. You're safe now."

"Era, what're you doing here? Where am I? Is my grandpa okay? Where's Pegasus?" Yugi asked. He looked and noticed everyone standing below them as if nothing had happened. "Wait, was that all just a dream?"

"I'm afraid not," Yusei replied.

"Here's the deal, bro, it's not where you are but when," Jaden said.

Era closed her eyes looking at the power around her. Every person had a small bit of power glowing inside them. Some that were the brightest she knew would someday have children who would grow into powerful duelists. Perhaps even as powerful as a psychic.

"We've taken you back in time. Back to just before those dragons blasted this place," Era informed opening her eyes and looking at Yugi once again.

Jaden looked at his card. "Look, Neos is back!" he exclaimed.

"Who are you guys?" Yugi asked in confusion and shock.

"My name's Yusei Fudo," Yusei introduced.

"You know me," she said calmly with her kind voice still in there. Yugi nodded with a grin.

"And I'm Jaden Yuki," Jaden responded with a happy, confident tone.

"Yusei, Era, and Jaden. I'm Yugi Muto," he introduced.

"Oh there's no need to tell us who you are we know," Yusei said.

"You do? How's that?" Yugi asked.

"Cause we're from the future. It's no big whoop," Jaden replied calmly.

"What?" Yugi responded.

"Okay, I guess it's kind of a big whoop. Bottom line though, we're here to save the world," Jaden said.

"That masked man you saw… he has to be stopped. Like you, we've seen what happens if he's not," Era said.

"This guy looks like he's made it his mission in life to take down Pegasus," Jaden said.

"But why?" Yugi asked.

"We don't know that just yet but if he takes down Pegasus, the duel monsters world he created…" Yusei trailed off.

"It goes with him. Along with everything that sprang from it. Schools, cities, people, you name it," Jaden said.

Yugi looked down and muttered, "Oh man."

"But it doesn't have to be that way," Jaden said. "That's why we're here."

"If we work together, we might be able to stop this maniac," Yusei said. "Will you help us?"

Yugi's head sprung up and looked at each of them while he stood up followed by the rest of them. "That guy hurt my grandpa and it also sounds like he's trying to hurt the game I love. So I'm more than willing to help you in any way that I can," Yugi agreed. "Especially since one of the ones I'm helping is a good friend." Era nodded with a smile.

"Glad to have you on our side," Yusei commented.

"Try ecstatic! We've got the King of Games in our corner! Now let's do this," Jaden exclaimed.

Era looked down at the people below and thought, _'I hope we'll be able to beat him. Because if we don't…'_ She let her thoughts trail off and she slowly followed the three others duelists.


	45. The Battle for the Past, Present, and

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 45: The Battle for the Past, Present, and Future

Era's POV

We hurried down the staircase and Jaden had Yubel fire a shot at the stage. Every person ran away in fear. "That's right. Just keep running and don't look back!" Jaden yelled with a laugh.

"I hope this scares away Pegasus so he won't be crush by that building," Yugi said.

"Right," I agreed, though I still didn't like scaring people like that. I could tell Yusei didn't either. Jaden laughed excited while punching the air partly.

"Then he and the future of duel monsters are safe," Yusei said.

"I think not!" yelled a voice.

I looked back and saw a portal open long enough for the masked duelist to popped out and land in front of them.

"You listen here! We know what you're up to and we're not going to let it happen, got it? So why don't you make it easier on yourself and go back to wherever it is you came from?" Yugi suggested defiantly.

"Where I come from is why I'm here," the man said. "Perhaps it's time we got acquainted." He removed his mask. "The name is Paradox."

"Paradox?" Yusei repeated.

"I doubt you've heard of me. In fact, I very much certain that you haven't," Paradox said eyeing Era. The trio of guys looked at her. "After all, I don't come from any of your eras of time. I come from the future."

"What does that mean?" Yusei asked.

"Forget him. He's just trying to get in your head," Jaden said.

"Paradox, we don't care about your backstory, we just care about keeping the world safe," I told him.

"Is that so?" he asked and chuckled slightly. "No one thought to keep me safe. Or those I loved. And now I will finally have my revenge. I will rid the world of what caused all my pain and suffering. That is why I am here. Because I've realized something about this game you love so. This Duel Monsters. The world would be a far better place without it. The monsters, the spells, what good has come from it? True, you've all saved the world many times of it with your precious cards. But against adversaries using the same cards to destroy it," Paradox said.

"Like you?" I retorted. He scoffed.

"So that's why you're here? To rid the world of duel monsters?" Yusei asked.

"That is correct, once and for all," Paradox answered.

"Not on our watch," Yusei responded.

"You senseless dolts! Don't you see? Instead of going against me, you four should be trying your best to help me! I told you, the world I come from is the reason why I am here. Where I come from is a doomed future," he responded.

Yusei gave a small gasp. "No, our future is a bright one," Yusei said disbelievingly and slightly distraught.

"It is not. It is a desolate place. So desolate I could no longer bear to see it through my own eyes. I took to wearing a mask. And it was through this filter that I began to see why things had ended this way. And the answer was Duel Monsters. So what better way to destroy this virus than by travelling back to the beginning and not letting it spread?" Paradox said. "Time travel is no easy feat. But where there is a will, there is a way. And there _was_ a will."

My fist squeezed tight in frustration. "But don't you realize? You're not just wiping out duel monsters, but people too! You're destroying everything and everyone ever touched by the game," I growled.

"Of course I realize that, Era. As a matter of fact, that's what I'm looking forward to the most," Paradox responded.

"You are one sick puppy," Jaden retorted.

"Maybe the game's not perfect but it has created more good things than bad," Yugi continued.

"And another thing, the future isn't written yet. There is still time for things to change," Yusei added. I nodded.

"Well then, since you feel so strongly about that, it seems we to have a difference of opinion. And since I doubt any more words will settle our impasse, perhaps we can seek settle it another way," Paradox responded.

"If you're saying you want a duel, bring it on Paradox," Yusei said.

"Fine then. I find it fitting to destroy you with the very cards you're trying to save," Paradox said. He pressed a button on his duel runner and it morphed into a somewhat plane like vehicle and hovered high in the air

"Paradox, get ready to get your game on!" Jaden exclaimed with his eyes changing into two separate colors like Yubel's.

"Everything has light in it. And I won't let you fade the light," I said. My marks glowed bright and the Crimson Dragon appeared and wrapped around me slightly protectively.

"You're twisted time crusade ends here. Let's rev it up," Yusei said. He brought his hand high into the air. His Mark of the Dragon Head lit up and the Crimson Dragon roared slightly in pride.

" _Yugi, out of all of our duels this may be the toughest,"_ said Yugi's other spirit and friend known as Yami.

"Then let's rise to the challenge," Yugi responded.

He then used the Millennium Puzzle to change his mind and spirit with Yami and allowed Yami to control the duel. "I just have one thing to say to you Paradox, it's time to duel!" Yami yelled.

They activated their duel disks. Yusei, Era, Jaden, and Yami shared a total of 4000 life points and Paradox had his own 4000.

"I'll go first," Paradox declared. "And I think I start by summoning the field spell, Malefic World." Their entire surroundings turned into a violet colored space.

"What just happened?" Yusei asked as the he, Era, Yami, and Jaden looked around.

"Malefic World," Paradox answered. "And I think I'll use the effect of Malefic World. By skipping the draw phase of my turn, I can add a random malefic monster from my deck directly to my hand. Next, I'll send Cyber End Dragon from my extra deck to the graveyard so that Malefic Cyber End Dragon (Attack 4000/ Defense 2800) now appears!" A dragon similar looking to the original Cyber End Dragon took to the field but on its face, back, and wings was black and white plating.

"Does anyone know what this Malefic thing is all about?" Yusei asked.

"It's not some 'thing', it's the type of deck I use. A type from the future. One of the many advantages of time travel," Paradox replied.

"Jaden, did you see how he brought out a Malefic version of that dragon?" Yusei asked.

"Uh-huh, just by sending the real version of Cyber End to the graveyard. That's all it took," Jaden said.

"So in other words, by getting rid of its good version, he can give life to its bad. It seems Paradox only sees the dark side of duel monsters," Yami said.

I nodded. "Exactly and I have a feeling this is only going to get harder," I said. They glanced at me.

"Yes, and I'll destroy you all with them. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I end my turn with one face down," Paradox intervened.

"Listen Jaden, Era, Yugi, most of us may have all just met and may not know each other's duel styles and strategies. But right now, we need to fight as one. All our skills, all our past experiences, let's use them. Let's put them together for this one common cause," Yusei gave his mini speech.

Era, Yami, and Jaden nodded at each other. "Agreed, Yusei. And I think you should be the one to start us off," Yami said.

"Right," Yusei said. "Here we go!" He pulled a card. "First, from my hand I play the spell card Reincarnation of Hope. By sending two monsters to the graveyard down now, we can draw a monster card later."

"Don't you realize there won't be a later for you or your friends?" Paradox growled.

"Well for now, I'm summoning Junk Synchron," Yusei declared. "And because I was able to summon him, I can summon a level two or below monster straight from the graveyard. Sonic Chick, fan your feathers in defense mode. And now my Quillbolt Hedgehog's ability activates. Since there is a tuner monster on my side of the field, I can summon my hedgehog straight to the field. But he won't be staying around for long. Nor are any of my other monsters, at least not in their present form. Because I'm tuning them all together. Just as Era, Yugi, Jaden, and I are combining our might, these three have now combined theirs. I summon forth the synchro monster, Junk Gardna (Attack 1400/ Defense 2600)!" Out of the pillar of light typically created from a synchro summon, Junk Gardna slammed to the ground in defense position.

"Synchro what?" Yami asked shocked.

"Don't know but I like it. Too cool!" Jaden exclaimed giving Yusei a thumbs up.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

' _We need to be careful. I have one card in my deck that can free Stardust Dragon and the others but I need to draw it,'_ Era said. _'So I have to watch for it.'_


	46. The Duel Against Time

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 46: The Duel Against Time

Era's POV

"How truly pathetic. If that's the best you can do, you all might as well give up here and now. Your decks are no match for mine. Not as long as I have Yusei's Stardust Dragon," Paradox told them. Yusei and I glared at him. "It's my move. Now I'll show your beast a true might. Next I'll send Rainbow Dragon from the extra deck to graveyard. Which as you saw before means, Malefic Rainbow Dragon (Attack 4000/ Defense 0) now appears!" Paradox declared and the dragon came to the field in a similar situation in difference as Cyber End Dragon.

"Hey! Leave my pal's card out of this!" Jaden demanded angrily.

"Why do you think I was time hopping in the first place? I was collecting the cards needed to take down Pegasus. Until that time comes, I'll use them… to destroy the three of you! Malefic Rainbow Dragon, attack! Spectral Surge!" Paradox ordered.

"I activate Junk Gardna's ability. With it, your dragon is about to be switched into defense mode," Yusei declared.

"You stopped one of my dragons, yes. But as you recall, I have two out! Malefic Cyber End Dragon, attack!" Paradox retorted.

The blast destroyed Junk Gardna and Yusei was thrown back by the damage made real with their life points dropping to 2600.

"Yusei!" I called.

"Are you alright?" Yami asked.

"Say something pal," Jaden called.

Yusei sat up. "I'm alright," he said.

"Well you won't be when your life points run out because in a malefic duel, you don't just lose the match, you lose your soul," Paradox informed. Yami, Jaden, and I glared at Paradox.

Yusei stood up and countered saying, "I activate Junk Gardna's second ability. When it's destroyed, it switches one of your monsters into defense mode. And then I activate Miracle's Wake! This revives the monster that was just destroyed," Yusei declared and Junk Gardna returned in his respective defense position. "Sorry, guys, I lost us some points there."

"Don't apologize, Yusei," Yami said.

"Yeah, no kidding," Era agreed.

"You just fended off two super tough monsters. Way to go!" Jaden praised.

"Thanks guys, I did my best," Yusei responded.

"Against a deck stacked with the best cards throughout all of time, that's all we can do. And that's what we have to keep doing to win this duel," Yami responded.

I nodded. "Yami's right," I agreed.

Yami looked at her. _"I wonder why Era is acting so different than what we know her as,"_ he told Yugi who was in his spirit form.

" _I know. It's like she changed dramatically quickly. I wonder, does it have to do with Yusei?"_ Yugi answered before Yami returned his attention to Paradox and the duel.

"In my time travels, I've listened in on some of your pep talks. But that, by far, was your most pathetic. I place a card face down and end my turn," Paradox chimed in.

"Then it's my turn to take a crack at ya," Jaden said drawing his card. "Yusei, mind if I piggyback off your play?" he asked. Yusei nodded, silently saying to go ahead. "Alright then, I activate Polymerization! And I'll fuse Junk Gardna with my Elemental HERO Neos that is in my hand. This is a first: two different monster from different times becoming one. Here comes the best from both worlds. Come to battle, Elemental HERO Neos Knight (Attack 2500/ Defense 1000)! And due to his ability, he gains a power boost equal to half of Junk Gardna's attack points (Elemental HERO Neos Knight: Attack 3200). Now Neos Knight will attack that Malefic Rainbow Dragon!" Neos Knight attacked and successfully destroyed Paradox's malefic version of Rainbow Dragon. "Oh, and Neos Knight's ability allows him two attacks in this one battle!" Jaden declared.

"Two attacks?!" Paradox exclaimed as Neos Knight destroyed Malefic Cyber End Dragon in an explosion.

"You're not so tough," Jaden stated.

" _Well done, Jaden. I've heard of knights slaying dragons before but not two at once,"_ Yubel told him. Jaden gave a small laugh.

"Let's see if you're laughing when I activate Malefic Tune! This allows me to draw two cards from my deck," Paradox retorted.

"Jaden you have to tell me, where did you learn to duel with such heart and passion?" Yami asked.

"A little place called Duel Academy. And believe it or not, I usually skip class," Jaden replied.

"Well, if I were your teacher, I would certainly give you an A on that last move," Yami responded.

"You better not be putting yourself down, Yusei," I called and he looked at me. "Just keep your mind on the game and don't put yourself down too much. We can do this." Yusei nodded. "Jaden, do what you do best."

"Right! I set four cards face down and end my turn," Jaden said.

"Then it's my turn. And I think I'll use the effect Malefic World to add a random malefic monster from my deck to my hand. Next by sending Stardust Dragon from my extra deck to the graveyard, I can summon Malefic Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)!" Paradox declared.

Stardust Dragon took to the field but her appearance was changed by the malefic force in Paradox's possession. Stardust's face and eyes were covered by a black and white, metal mask. Its wings were covered in similar armor and its chest held plating of similar colors.

"My Stardust! Paradox, you snake, what have you done to it?" Yusei asked angrily.

"I simply introduced it to the power of the shadows and there's more to come," he replied.

"Paradox," I growled.

"Well, back to the duel. I summon Malefic Parallel Gear (Attack 0/ Defense 0)," Paradox declared. "Next I'll tune Malefic Parallel Gear and _my_ Malefic Stardust Dragon." I growled hearing this. I didn't like it when someone stole something to make it 'theirs'.

"What?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"You and Era are not the only ones who can synchro summon, Yusei," Paradox replied. "I synchro summon, Paradox Dragon (Attack 4000/ Defense 4000)!"

"Not good," Jaden muttered.

"That's right, Jaden. And since Paradox Dragon was summoned I can summon Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000) to the field in attack mode," Paradox said.

"Two dragons again?" I muttered.

"Yes, Yusei. Because due to Paradox Dragon's effect, every monster you control will lose attack equal to every synchro monster I control. So, Neos Knight, power down (Elemental HERO Neos Knight: Attack 400)!" Paradox stated. "Paradox Dragon, attack Neos Knight!"

"I play, Hero Barrier. This negates your attack as long as there is an Elemental HERO on my field," Jaden declared.

"I activate Malefic Claw Stream. Since I have a malefic synchro monster out, I can destroy one of your monsters," Paradox said and destroyed Neos Knight.

"I'll see your trap and raise it with one of my own. Elemental Mirage! This returns Neos Knight (Attack 2500/ Defense 1000) back from the graveyard," Jaden declared.

"A perfect counter," Yami praised.

"Aw, I just figured it would be rude of me to leave you without a monster," Jaden responded.

"Thanks and you can count on me to put Neos Knight to good use," Yami told Jaden.

"I'm sorry, Yugi, but your best won't even be good enough here. After all Neos Knight is still subject to Paradox Dragon's effect," Paradox reminded them (Elemental HERO Neos Knight: Attack 0). "I end my turn with two face downs."

"It's my move. So get ready!" Yami exclaimed glaring at Paradox.

"Let's see what you've got, King of Games," Paradox taunted.

"Yugi, my cards are your cards," Yusei told him.

"Well, in that case, I'll use Reincarnation of Hope's effect to add a monster card to my hand. And the monster I choose is Dark Magician," Yugi declared.

"Like I didn't see that coming," Paradox said.

"Next, I activate Ancient Rules which allows me to summon Dark Magician," Yami declared. Yusei, Era, and Jaden looked at Dark Magician as he stared at his opponent defiantly.

"According to the history books, that card is Yugi's ace," Yusei said.

"I know, cool!" Jaden agreed. I simply nodded.

"As cool as he may be, he's still subject to Paradox Dragon's power down effect," Paradox said (Dark Magician: Attack 0).

Yusei sighed. "Yugi, if Stardust Dragon needs to be destroyed for us to win this then destroy it," he said. We looked at him shocked by his words. "It's better that than letting it be under Paradox's control any longer."

"Yusei…" Yami muttered. The two stared into each other's eyes got a moment.

"Oh, how touching. Now go already!" Paradox yelled impatiently.

Yami turned to the field. "I activate Bond Between Teacher and Student. When I have a Dark Magician on the field, I can summon his student, Dark Magician Girl!" The magician in blue and pink clothing and staff came to the field. "Next I activate Magic Gate of Miracles. Now since I have two spell casters out on my field, I can take control of one of your monsters."

A giant square portal formed on both sides of the field and two giant hands reach out. In response, Paradox declared, "I activate Malefic Force. Now Paradox Dragon is no longer up for grabs."

"That's true, but Stardust Dragon still is," Yami reminded. The hands reached out and pulled Stardust over to Yusei and the dragon didn't bother to resist the pull. "Yusei, Stardust Dragon is now back where it belongs."

"Thanks, Yugi!" Yusei said as it appeared on his card and the image on Paradox's card shattered.

Jaden gave a small chuckle. "You never wanted Paradox Dragon in the first place, right?" he asked.

Yami nodded. "And speaking of Paradox Dragon, his ability is no longer in effect which means our monsters attack points return to normal," he informed. Dark Magician and Neos Knight return to their normal 2500 attack points each.

"So what if your monsters' attack points are back to normal? My dragon still has them beat with a total of 4000. Face it, you're simply outmatched," Paradox retorted.

"I wouldn't say that," Yami countered resulting in Paradox giving a shock and confused look. "I activate Dark Magic Twin Burst! Now I can add Dark Magician Girl's attack points to Dark Magician's (Dark Magician: Attack 4500). Now your dragon is the one who's been outmatched, Paradox, and he also happens to be outnumbered two to one. Now go Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!"

The two spell casters shot a beam of purple like that pierced Paradox Dragon's head and went through it and through the dragon's abdomen destroying it and forced Paradox to lose 500 life points making him at 3500.

"These desperate moves change nothing," Paradox said with a grin.

"I disagree. You had two monsters and now you have none," Yugi said.

"And I thank you for that. All you've done is clear the way for something else. Something grand, something almighty!" Paradox exclaimed.

"Spit it out," Jaden commanded tense while we all got in defensive stances.

"I activate Malefic Paradigm Shift which, at the cost of half of my life points (Paradox: Life Points 1750) allows me to summon my most wicked beast, Malefic Truth Dragon (Attack 5000/ Defense 5000)!" Paradox declared. A giant, golden dragon appeared on the field and Paradox's vehicle disappeared as he somehow fused with his new monster.

"I've seen some big monsters all my life but that behemoth definitely takes the cake," Jaden said shocked.

"And it probably ate it too," Yusei agreed. "Era, any ideas at all?"

"If we there is a way, we will have to at least work together to do so," Era said. They nodded at her.

"This is your doing, Yugi! I hope you're pleased with yourself," Paradox yelled down. Yami growled.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Yami declared.

Paradox began his turn. "I play Malefic Selector. By removing Malefic Parallel Gear and Malefic Cyber End Dragon from play, I can add two malefic monsters to my hand. And I'll send both Blue Eyes White Dragon and Red Eyes Black Dragon to the graveyard to summon their dark counterparts. Malefic Blue Eyes White Dragon and Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon!" he played. Both dragons as their dark counterparts appeared onto the field.

"Both Blue Eyes and Red Eyes!" Yami exclaimed shocked.

"Next I'll have Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon attack that Dark Magician Girl. And so you know, with Malefic Truth Dragon's ability when it destroys one monsters all the other monsters are destroyed as well," Paradox declared.

"What?!" Yusei exclaimed.

"I activate De-Fusion! Neos Knight, time to split," Jaden declared. Elemental HERO Neos and Junk Gardna appeared on the field. "Now Yusei."

"I use the effect of Junk Gardna to switch Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon in defense mode," Yusei declared switching the dragon as told. "Which means Dark Magician Girl is safe."

"Yusei, Jaden, nice teamwork," Yami praised. I nodded with a small smile in agreement.

"I'll show you teamwork!" Paradox exclaimed. "Blue Eyes, pick up where Red Eyes left off." I heard them whimper in fear as Blue Eyes attacked Dark Magician and destroyed him. The four duelists' life points dropped to 2100. "Now Truth Dragon's ability activates. So now all your monsters are destroyed." Giant thorns appeared and began to rain down.

"Sorry, Paradox, don't think so!" Yusei stopped. "I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability. By releasing Stardust Dragon, I can negate your dragon's effect and then destroy it all together."

"What?!" Paradox responded.

"So say goodbye," Yusei responded and they thorns switched directions before flying in the opposite direction.

"I play Truth Dragon's other ability. But removing Malefic Rainbow Dragon from play, Truth Dragon is saved," Paradox reacted. "Now Malefic Truth Dragon attack!" As Neos was attacked and destroyed, his dragon's ability activates. "Remember when one goes they all go!" All the rest of our monsters were destroyed. "And did I forget to mention, for every monster destroyed by its effect, you take 800 points of damage." The four of them are pushed back by the explosion and their life points drop to 500. "Next I activate Malefic Divide. With it, I can summon back Malefic Stardust Dragon! And now it will attack all of you!"


	47. The End of Time

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 47: The End of Time

Era's POV

"No, my nightmare, my worst fear is coming true," Yusei said. "All is lost."

"Slow down there, Yusei," I called. He looked at me. "No angel should ever lose hope like that."

"Era's right, don't surrender yet. We still have our secret weapon," Jaden agreed.

"Remember, we believe in duel monsters with all of our hearts while Paradox does not. And when you believe, you have hope," Yami said.

"You're an angel, Yusei. Don't go losing hope on me," I told him. He grinned and nodded.

"Maybe it would be better if I show you what we mean. I play, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh. So we can add a Kuriboh or Wing Kuriboh to our hand," Jaden said. He looked at Yami. "You're up."

"Right. Kuriboh!" Yami called. "I activate your ability. So by sending it to the graveyard, it allows Kuriboh to take the hit instead of us." A giant Kuriboh appeared in front of us and blocked the attack.

"No!" Paradox exclaimed as Kuriboh shattered and the four of us on the ground stared up at him with a glare. "Yugi, I'll make you pay dearly for that little stunt!" Paradox threatened.

"I don't think you will. Because at the end of this turn, Malefic Divides effect is gone which means Malefic Stardust Dragon will be gone," Yami retorted. Malefic Stardust Dragon disappeared because, true to Yami's words, the effect of Malefic Divide was completed.

"But not the real Stardust Dragon. Because with its ability, it now returns to the field," I stated.

Yusei and the rest of us turned as his dragon appeared. "Stardust Dragon… glad your back," he told his dragon.

"Era, it's your turn now. Remember, no matter what time you're in, you'll always have those supporting you," Yami said.

I nodded. "You better be ready Paradox, because I'm about to save the rest of those dragons you snatched," I told him with a glare.

"I would love to see you try," Paradox taunted more.

"First I'll activate Returning Tides," I declared. "When a dragon is special summoned from the graveyard, like with Stardust Dragon, I can special summon all monsters destroyed during this turn." Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Elemental HERO Neos, and Junk Gardna reappeared on the field.

"What?! I just got rid of all of them," Paradox exclaimed shocked.

"Too bad. And now it's my turn," I declared drawing her card. "Next I activate Bring to the Light! Now I can add up to four monsters from your deck, graveyard, and even the ones removed from play to our decks," I declared.

"What?!" Paradox said shocked.

"I told you I would save them and I will keep that promise. So Blue Eyes White Dragon, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, and Cyber End Dragon go to the decks you want," I retorted.

Four orbs of light floated out of Paradox's duel disk and to Yami and Jaden's decks. Blue Eyes, Red Eyes, and Cyber End went to Yami and Rainbow Dragon went to Jaden.

"Nice, Era!" Jaden praised.

"Now it's time for your down fall Paradox," I said.

"I hate to interrupt good trash talkin'. But here, this is worth it. I play Neos Spiral Force," Jaden declared. "With it, I can double the attack points of one of our monsters (Stardust Dragon: Attack 5000)."

"And I play Dark Spiral Force. With this force in play, I can double its attack points once again (Stardust Dragon: Attack 10,000)," Yami declared.

"And I'll play Light Force," I declared. "This doubles the attack points of Stardust Dragon. I think you could use a lesson after taking those dragons (Stardust Dragon: Attack 20,000)."

"20,000 attack points! How?!" Paradox exclaimed in defeat and fear.

"Go, Neos! Attack!" Jaden exclaimed.

"Dark Magician, attack!" Yami ordered.

A vision of Angelic Light Dragon appeared next to Stardust and it roared ready for battle. "Show him that light will always prevail against the dark! Angelic Light Dragon and Stardust Dragon attack!" I ordered.

In unison, Jaden, Yusei, Yami, and I exclaimed, "Go, Dark Cosmic Star Wave!"

"No! NO!" Paradox exclaimed as the attacks hit him and he disappeared.

The duel completed and the four of us sighed in relief.

. . .

The sun was setting and Yusei, Jaden, and I were beside Yami as they waited to say goodbye to our friend.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then. Great meeting you all. Think we'll meet again sometime?" Jaden said.

"Yeah, but next time we meet, let's hope the whole world of duel monsters isn't on the line again," Yusei said.

"I can definitely agree with you there, Yusei," I agreed.

"Yeah, maybe we could duel each other. Whatever happens, I'm sure the bond we made here is one that'll stand the test of time," Yami agreed.

"All of time," Jaden said putting his hand out.

"Totally," I agreed setting mine on Jaden's.

"Absolutely," Yusei said placing his on the forming pile.

Yami followed the gesture placing his hand on the other three's.

"Now, remember to give those dragons back to their human friends. Yugi, Red Eyes and Blue Eyes really want to go back to Kaiba and Joey. And Jaden, Rainbow Dragon is dying to see Jesse again. Make sure he's gets back safe, okay?" I said.

"Got it," Jaden agreed.

"Will we ever see you again, Era?" Yami asked.

"Maybe not the same me as now. But the me from this time, you will," I answered.

"What about us, Era? I hadn't seen you at all until now after you left," Jaden asked me seeming sad.

"Remember, even if we can't see each other, we're still together," I stated. "And it's that bond that will always keep me attached to your guys. Even after years go by." They all smiled and nodded. "But we better get going. We'll drop you off at your time, Jaden. Goodbye, Yugi." Yusei and Jaden nodded in agreement.

"Goodbye, guys. We'll see each other again," Yami said. "That, I have no doubt."

The three of us, duelists, left.

. . .

After dropping Jaden off, Yusei and I found ourselves back on the outlook. I looked to see the city in one piece.

"The city's okay," I said relieved. My mate and I looked at the Crimson Dragon by us who nodded in approval before disappearing.

Yusei and I heard laughing and Leo and Luna calling our names. When we looked, we saw Jack, Crow, Akiza, Luna, and Leo running to us.


	48. The Stars of Darkness

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 48: The Stars of Darkness

Era's POV

Yusei and I were flying through the sky one night, scouting for demons. It had been a week since Paradox was defeated and I knew Yusei was preparing himself for the World Racing Grand Prix. It was starting tomorrow and I was worried.

"Something wrong, Era?" Yusei asked me as we flew. I looked at him as we flew. He gave me a stern stare, silently saying that he knew something was wrong and wasn't going to let this go. "Remember, Era, you promised you would stop trying to hide stuff from me."

I sighed. "I know," I responded. "I'm… I'm worried, Yusei."

"About what?" Yusei asked as he pulled me to a hover. "The tournament?"

"Yes… No… I…" I stammered. I turned my eyes away from his gaze.

"Era, I can't read your mind like you could've when I was human," Yusei told me. "I can only guess what's wrong. You're the one who needs to explain it."

"I'm worried what'll happen in the tournament," I answered.

"Why?" Yusei asked.

"Yliaster is teamed up with the demons and they're the champions in this, so whoever gets through the tournament faces them," I replied. "And the day that's supposed to be is a… bad day for angels."

"What's that day? Why's it so bad?" Yusei asked.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him above the clouds. He gave me a confused look and I pointed to three, dim stars. "Those are what angels call the Stars of Darkness."

"Stars of Darkness?" Yusei repeated.

I nodded. "There have only been three kings and secondary kings in the history of demons and angels. The King of the Underworld is the one you destroyed. Then there was Secondary King Felacious, and finally, Secondary King Sidias. Each became what demons never become, a star. And two times have the demons gained significant amount of power for a full day," I stopped. He grabbed my hand and I looked at him. "And each one was after one of the Secondary Kings was killed."

"What're you saying, Era?" Yusei asked.

"When you look at our history, you see a trend," I told him. "Each secondary king was killed two thousand five hundred years apart. And when you killed the King of the Underworld, that was also a two thousand five hundred year difference since the last leader was killed. A total of nine months had passed between the times the secondary kings were killed and the time of demonic kind gained their power. And the day that we are supposed to face Yliaster, it will be the marking of the ninth month after the King of the Underworld was killed."

"How do they gain the power?" Yusei asked growing tense.

"The Stars of Darkness and our sun turn black for the day, though the sun is a bit after the Stars of Darkness," I explained shocking him. "And with that darkness gives the demons extra power and that power is horrible and deadly to angels. The demons before didn't have the kind of strength they had today. With the extra power, they could launch a full scale invasion of Earth and without other angels, take it over."

"That's not going to happen, Era," Yusei assured. "No angel will let it. And I know our lord won't either." I nodded but still seemed unconvinced. "Listen, Era…"

A growl from a demon cut him off and we turned as one came and grabbed me by the neck, flying farther away from Yusei and fast. I looked at a demon with a glare and used an attack spell in my hand and shot it into his chest the best I could with the digging pain in my neck.

The demon was thrown off of me and let go. I barely caught myself with my wings so I didn't fall as I coughed and tried to regain some breath. Yusei was quick to hover in front of me protectively while holding me behind him.

We both looked at the demon who glared at us. "Who are you?" Yusei asked as we both didn't recognize this demon.

"My name is Atyis," he stated. "And I am here to deliver a message from our king."

"Message?" I repeated.

"Guardian Angel of Light, you have little to comprehend of the danger that is coming. If you want to be able to at least survive the coming darkness, you will come to the Underworld and surrender yourself there. Or you will watch as all of angel kind and humankind are eradicated," Atyis told us. "That includes you, your child, and your mate. And if you fail to comply, your mate will be the first to die."

Yusei tensed along with myself. "I would love to see him try to take me on. Last time, I nearly killed him myself," he told the messenger. "If he thinks he can beat me to take Era, let him try. But he will _never_ take Era back to the Underworld. That is something I can promise."

Suddenly, the demon disappeared in a dark, spark like flash. By the time I realized where he was, Atyis grabbed my arm and yanked me away from Yusei.

"You are coming with me," the demon said.

But in that moment of me yanking back, Yusei shot a strong attack spell at Atyis and hit his head. The demon was sent about five yards back and away from me, but not before I felt a piercing man shoot into my arm where his hand was.

I looked at my arm to see a mark on their written in a language that I didn't know. I tried to use a curse release spell to get it to leave by nothing would release me from the mark. Yusei came over and looked at it.

"That is a special curse only strong demons can master and its effect will kick in on the Day of Darkness," Atyis stated.

"Day of Darkness?" Yusei repeated seeming confused.

"He's meaning the day that the Stars of Darkness and our sun go dark," I told him. "What's the effect, Atyis?" The demon only laughed wickedly before disappearing.

Yusei immediately turned to my mark, tense. We both tried to use a curse release spell at the same time but that still did nothing.

"What is this thing?" Yusei wondered.

"There aren't any spells for demons that are said in our books like this. I'm not sure where that Atyis discovered the curse or what this curse is, but I have a bad feeling about it," I replied.

"We'll find a way to get it off you before the Day of Darkness, Era," Yusei assured me. "Don't worry, nothing will happen to you."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"Because I promised the Crimson Dragon and you that I'll keep you safe," Yusei responded. "Alright?"

I sighed but nodded. "Alright," I agreed.

Yusei slowly touched his lips to mine and I gave in to the kiss. When he pulled back, he held my cheek while resting his head against mine. I closed my eyes in peace and moved my head to his chest.

"Why don't we get back to the garage and get some rest?" Yusei suggested.

I nodded slowly. "Alright," I agreed as we separated. Yusei grabbed my hand, though, and gently pulled me with him towards the garage.


	49. The First Duel of the WRGP

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 49: The First Duel of the WRGP

Era's POV

It was time for the first round of the World Racing Grand Prix. Jack and Andre were setting up to race each other for first turn.

Yusei stood by my side and asked me in Angelic, _"Do you have a bad feeling about this duel, too?"_

I nodded. _"I do. If Yue were here, I wonder if she would tell us what our intuition was telling us about,"_ I replied.

He smirked. _"She probably would. We'll just have to hope for the best, though. We can't change anything that'll happen in the duel without being seen in our angel forms,"_ he told me.

I sighed. _"I know,"_ I responded. _"I just don't like it. Remember, an angel's intuition is…"_

" _Rarely, if ever, wrong,"_ Yusei finished for me. _"I know, which is why I don't like it either."_ I nodded, looking down a bit. That's when I felt his hand gently and subtly wrap around mine, making me look at him. _"Don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll help him when he gets over here."_

Jack and Andre quickly took off to race for the first turn. Shocking everyone, Andre triggered an overboost system, causing an acceleration Jack couldn't match and forced him to settle for second.

Andre drew his card. "I summon Uni-Horned Familiar (Attack 0/ Defense 1000) in defense position," he declared. "I then remove from play Speed Spell- The End of the Storm from my hand in order to special summon Monoceros (Attack 1000/ Defense 1000) in defense mode. I set two face downs to end my turn."

Jack drew his card. "Since you control monsters and I don't, I can special summon Vice Dragon (Attack 2000/ Defense 2400) from my hand in attack mode with its original attack and defense halved (Vice Dragon: Attack 1000/ Defense 1200)," he declared. "Next I normal summon Dark Resonator. I now tune my two monsters together. I synchro summon, Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000)! Now Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Uni-Horned Familiar!"

"I activate Uni-Horned Familiar's effect! By removing itself and Monoceros from play, your dragon must attack," he declared.

"Well, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Andre directly," Jack continued.

"I activate Different Dimension Barrier- Lost Force! This negates the attack and inflicts damage to you equal to the attack of Red Dragon Archfiend," Andre defended and Jack's life points fell to 1000.

"I set three face downs and end my turn," Jack finished.

Andre drew his card. "I activate Uni-Horned Familiar's effect to return it to the field in defense mode," he declared. "And next I special summon Monoceros from my removed from play zone in defense mode along with D.D. Unicorn Knight (Attack 1800/ Defense 900) in attack mode. Now I tune Monoceros with Uni-Horned Familiar to synchro summon. Run forward, Thunder Unicorn (Attack 2200/ Defense 1800)! And since Monoceros was sent to the graveyard for a synchro summon, I can special summon Uni-Horned Familiar from my graveyard in defense mode. Next up, I activate the effect of Thunder Unicorn to reduce the attack of your dragon by 500 for every monster I control except Thunder Unicorn (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 2000). And now since I activate the effect of Thunder Unicorn, no monsters besides Thunder Unicorn can attack this turn. So, Thunder Unicorn, attack Red Dragon Archfiend!" The attack hit and destroyed Jack's monster while the Signer's life points fell to 800. "I set a card to end my turn."

Jack drew his card. "I summon Mad Archfiend (Attack 1800/ Defense 0) in attack mode. I then activate Powerful Rebirth! This revives Dark Resonator with its attack and defense increased by 100 and its level increased by 1 (Dark Resonator: Level 4/Attack 1400/ Defense 400). Then I activate Rage Resynchro to send Mad Archfiend and Dark Resonator to the graveyard and special summon Red Dragon Archfiend from my graveyard with 500 more attack (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 3500)! Now attack Thunder Unicorn!" he ordered.

"I activate Dimension Trap! By removing from play Uni-Horned Familiar from my field and Different Dimension Barrier- Lost Force from my graveyard. I activate the effect of Different Dimension Barrier- Lost Force as the effect of Dimension Trap," Andre defended.

"I activate Overpower to negate the effect of Dimension Trap and destroy it," Jack fought. The attack continued and Thunder Unicorn was destroyed while Andre's life points fell to 2700.

"I activate Parallel Selection! This allows me to add Speed Spell- The End of the Storm from my removed from play zone to my hand and draw one card," Andre fought back.

If that wasn't enough, back in the booth, Bruno stated, "That's not good."

"What?" Era asked as she, Crow, and Yusei got closer.

"The air intake system of Jack's runner is showing signs of malfunction," Bruno explained.

Despite the fact it would mean a loss of Speed Counters, the team called for Jack to make a pit stop. But Jack refused, insisting, "I have to defeat Andre." He made a counter attack that defied Andre's defenses, but it was still seeming within Andre's plan.

"Andre isn't a power duelist," Era realized and they looked at her confused. "He only used a power deck before as a lure." Yusei nodded in agreement. "His deck truly takes advantages of attack. By going for a contest of strength, we played into his hands."

Andre drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2," he declared. "By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage to you for each speed spell in my hand. Such as my The End of the Storm." Jack's life points fell to 0.

As per the rulings of the World Racing Grand Prix, it went to Andre's end phase and during the end phase, Red Dragon Archfiend was destroyed due to the last effect of Rage Resynchro.

Jack's duel runner activated the usual braking procedures, but a part of the mechanism burst. The vehicle spun out and broke apart. Yusei and the others were struck in worry and terror, helplessly watching Jack get thrown from the flying crash.


	50. The Second Duel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 50: The Second Duel

Era's POV

I watched helplessly as Jack crashed along with his duel runner. I began to try to hurry to him, but Yusei grabbed my arm to stop me and Jack said, "Don't, Era. Remember, if a person helps me, we get disqualified." Still hurt, Jack picked up his duel runner and began pushing it all the way to the pit. "I won't let our dream end up in there."

Akiza was waiting. Meanwhile, the winner of the round, Andre, was allowed to keep doing laps before the new teammate was brought onto the track and as his does his speed counters increase for each lap until they reach a maximum of twelve. After that, the losing team have their speed counters decrease, and once they reach zero, that team will automatically lose.

"Akiza, get ready," Yusei told her. But as she does, both Yusei and I noticed she was nervous.d "Akiza, look at the crowd." She did so and noticed her parents watching. "Your current self isn't alone anymore." Yusei handed her a card. "Go."

"Wait, this is…" Akiza trailed off.

"Your opponent won't think of you using that card. That's where a chance lies," Yusei told her.

"Have fun with your turbo duel Akiza," I told her.

"What fun is this?" she responded, obviously implying the plan was a reckless one. "But I will respond to your wish."

Jack arrived where Akiza was, with them only having one speed counter left. Akiza immediately sped off with him there and met up with Andre just in time.

"Think Akiza will be okay with your plan?" I asked my mate.

"Yeah," he answered. "At least, I hope so."

Akiza and Andre raced for the first turn and luckily, Akiza got the first turn. After seeing this, Jack suddenly fainted and Era caught him. Mina, Carly and Stephanie were there and took him to the emergency room.

Era turned back to the duel where Andre told Akiza, "Using the overboost system is starting to slow me down. Let's see how you face me."

Akiza drew her card. "I'll start by summoning Phoenixian Seed (Attack 800/ Defense 0) in attack mode. "Next I send Phoenixian Seed to the graveyard to special summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis (Attack 2200/ Defense 0)!" Her monster rose from the ground in attack mode. "Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, attack D.D. Unicorn Knight!" The attack succeeded and destroyed Andre's monster while dropping his life points down to 2300. After damage calculation, the effect of Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis activated which destroyed it. But the second effect activated, inflicting another 800 points of damage at Andre making his life points fall to 1500. "I set a card."

I listened to Breo and Jean for a moment and Breo commented, "She really is going all out."

"That's because of the overwhelming disadvantage she has against Andre: the fact that our speed counters are at max, meaning Andre can activate and Speed Spell," Jean responded.

I turned back to the duel where Akiza removed Phoenixian Seed from play and revived Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in defense mode, and I decided to listened to my friend's thoughts for a moment. _'Andre can destroy my Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis with either a monster or his Speed Spell- End of the Storm so I can activate the second effect of Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis,'_ thought Akiza.

' _Be careful, Akiza. I don't think it'll be that easy,'_ I thought.

Andre drew his card. "I activate the Speed Spell- Dash Pilfer!" he declared. "This allows me to take control of your Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis until the end phase!" Akiza's monster flipped to her opponent's side of the field. "Next I normal summon Unibird (Attack 100/ Defense 600) in attack mode. And then I activate its effect! By removing itself and Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from play, I can revive Thunder Unicorn (Attack 2200/ Defense 1800) in attack position." While Akiza's only monster went to her removed from play zone, Thunder Unicorn returned to the field. "Thunder Unicorn, attack Akiza directly!" The attack hit and her life points fell to 1800. "I set one card face down and end my turn."

I turned back to Team Unicorn's teammates that haven't dueled. "Andre could have finished her by using Speed World 2's effect, but he didn't," Jean commented.

"Well, that would mean fighting Yusei with zero speed counters," Breo told his teammate. "I would've done the same thing."

"I don't like this," Luna commented taking my attention to them.

"I gave Akiza a secret to help her," Yusei told them,

"What is it?" Leo asked while they all turned to him, while I myself knew as I was there when he did it.

"Just continue watching," he told them. He then told me in Angelic, _"I just hope Akiza will use the card to reverse the situation."_

" _All angels can do is hope,"_ I responded. I slowly grabbed my arm where the curse mark was. I had been concerned about it for a while now.

" _Don't worry about that thing, Era. We'll get it off of you,"_ Yusei told me. I gave a slow nod but my worry didn't seem to want to end.

"Uh, is something wrong with your arm, Era?" Crow asked.

"No," I lied, trying to make sure they didn't worry about me. They needed to focus on the tournament. Crow sighed, obviously telling it was a lie, but left it alone and turned to the duel with the rest of them

Akiza drew her card. "First I summon Witch of the Black Rose (Attack 1700/ Defense 1200) in attack mode and activate its effect to draw one card," she declared and drew her card. "Since I added Rose Fairy (Attack 600/ Defense 1200) from my deck to her hand with a card effect, I can special summon it from my hand in attack mode. And then I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton to draw two cards and send one card from my hand to the graveyard." She drew the two cards while sending Glow-Up Bulb to the graveyard. "Now I tune my Rose Fairy with Witch of the Black Rose to synchro summon. Rise up, Black Rose Dragon (Attack 2400/ Defense 1800)!" Her ace monster rose to the field, roaring out ready to battle. Andre seemed concerned by the dragon's appearance. "Then I activate my face down, Star Siphon and use it on Black Rose Dragon. This allows me to summon a Siphon Token (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode with its level the same as the level of Black Rose Dragon (Siphon Token: Level 7) and making Black Rose Dragon level one (Black Rose Dragon: Level 1). Next I send Dark Verger to the graveyard to the graveyard to special summon Glow-Up Bulb (Attack 100/ Defense 100) in attack mode. Now I tune Siphon Token with Glow-Up Bulb to synchro summon! Bring forth the stars, Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)!"

Andre looked at the dragon surprised as she played the card. Most of Team 5Ds looked at Yusei shocked with him giving Akiza his best card.

Akiza then called taking their attention back to the duel, "Black Rose Dragon, attack Thunder Unicorn!" The attack hit and destroyed Thunder Unicorn while her opponent's life points fell to 1300. "Now, Stardust Dragon, attack Andre directly and end this!"

As the attack was about to hit him, Andre defended, "I activate Dimension Equilibrium to end the battle phase, remove Black Rose Dragon from play, and revive my Thunder Unicorn in attack mode!"

"I set two face downs and end my turn," she finished.

Andre drew his card. "I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Energy to increase the attack of Thunder Unicorn by 200 for every speed counter I have until the End phase (Thunder Unicorn: Attack 4600). Thunder Unicorn, attack Stardust Dragon!" he ordered.

"I activate my face down, Half Counter! This increases Stardust Dragon's attack by half the original attack of Thunder Unicorn (Stardust Dragon: Attack 3600)!" Akiza played. Though the attack succeeded in destroying Stardust Dragon and dropping Akiza's life points to 800, she wasn't eliminated from the duel.

"I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage for each Speed Spell in my hand," Andre fought. He reveals his Speed Spell- The End of the Storm.

"I activate Wicked Rebirth to pay 800 life points and revive Stardust Dragon in attack mode with its effects negated!" Akiza quickly played before her life points fell to zero.

"Looks like I decreased my speed counters for nothing," Andre stated. "That was a good move."

With the end phase of Andre's turn, the effect of Speed Spell- Speed Energy expired and Thunder Unicorn's attack returned to normal.

Akiza reached the pit and said to Yusei, "Sorry that I couldn't do anything."

"That's not true," Leo and Bruno told her.

"Leave the rest up to me," Yusei told her. He took off with that.

Akiza began to cry a bit so I told her as Yusei did, "Akiza, look at the crowd."

She looked to see parents cheering for her along with the crowd. "Thanks," Akiza told Era.

They turned as the MC stated, "In order for Team 5Ds to reverse the situation and win, Yusei must now defeat three opponents in a row!"


	51. The Edge- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 51: The Edge- Part 1

Third Person POV

By the World Racing Grand Prix's rules, the field, speed counters, and the victor's life points are retained from the previous duel. Andre started with 1300 life points and eight speed counters and Yusei started with 4000 life points and five speed counters. Andre retained his field from the previous duel with Akiza and Yusei started with Stardust Dragon and Wicked Rebirth, which was equipped to Stardust Dragon, that were left by Akiza.

Yusei drew his card to begin his first turn. "I summon Max Warrior (Attack 1800/ Defense 800) in attack mode," he began. "Now Stardust Dragon, attack Thunder Unicorn!" Andre's monster was destroyed and his life points fell to 1000. "Max Warrior, attack Andre directly!"

"I activate the second effect of Thunder Unicorn (Attack 2200/ Defense 1800) to revive itself in attack position," Andre defended.

"When Max Warrior, attack Thunder Unicorn. And due to its effect, Max Warrior gains 400 attack during the damage step only (Max Warrior: Attack 2200)!" Yusei fought and both monsters were destroyed. "I set a face down and end my turn."

Andre drew his card. "I set two cards face down. That's all for now," he played.

Yusei drew his card. "First, I special summon Card Breaker (Attack 100/ Defense 900) by destroying your set card." It was revealed that the face down was the Speed Spell- The End of the Storm.

"I activate Magic Charge!" Andre declared. "This inflicts 2000 points of damage to both players as a Spell Card was destroyed this turn!" Yusei's life points fell to 2000 while Andre's hit zero. And due to the tournament's rules, it immediately went to Yusei's end phase and Andre passed the baton to Breo who proceeded in dueling Yusei.

"I wonder what kind of deck Breo has," Leo commented.

"Andre has won all of Team Unicorn's duels alone," Era pointed out. "So there's no information available on either of his teammates."

Breo drew his card. "First I summon Bicorn Re'em (Attack 800/ Defense 1600) in defense mode," he declared. "I then end my turn with two face downs."

Yusei drew his card a bit nervous. "I summon Dash Warrior (Attack 600/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. And now since I'm entering the battle phase, the effect of Dash Warrior activates, tripling its attack until the end of the battle phase (Dash Warrior: Attack 1800)," he declared. "Dash Warrior, attack Bicorn Re'em!"

"I activate my face down, Negate Attack! This negates your attack and ends the battle phase," Breo defended and Dash Warrior's attack returned to a normal 600.

"I switch Card Breaker to defense mode and end my turn," Yusei finished.

Breo drew his card. "I summon Mine Mole (Attack 1000/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. Now I tune my Mine Mole with Bicorn Re'em in order to synchro summon. Rush forward, Voltic Bicorn (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)!" he called. "Now since Bicorn Re'em was sent to the graveyard for a synchro summon, its effect activates, forcing you to send the top two cards of your deck to the graveyard. And now since Mine Mole was sent to the graveyard for a synchro summoning of a beast-type synchro monster, its effect allows me to draw one card." Breo drew his card. "And now I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy Voltic Bicorn. And this activates Voltic Bicorn's effect, forcing both players to send cards from the top of our decks to the graveyard equal to the level of Voltic Bicorn!" Yusei sent his cards to the graveyard along with Breo, leaving Yusei with a deck of 23 cards. "I end my turn with two face downs."

Yusei slowly drew his card. "First I activate the Speed Spell- Accelerate Draw which allows me to draw two cards from my deck!" he declared and drew his two cards decreasing his deck further. "Stardust Dragon, attack Breo directly!" The attack hit and Breo's life points fell to 1500.

"I activate my face down, Regretful Tuning to revive my Voltic Bicorn in attack mode!" Breo fought.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

Breo drew his card. "Voltic Bicorn, attack Stardust Dragon!" he called.

"I activate Synchro Striker Unit and equip it to Stardust Dragon! This increases its attack by 1000 (Stardust Dragon: Attack 3500)," Yusei fought.

Breo called, "I activate my set Flattery! This increases the attack of Voltic Bicorrn by the difference of the original attack of your Stardust Dragon and its current attack (Voltic Bicorn: Attack 3500)." Both monsters were destroyed in the battle. "And now Voltic Bicorn's attack activates, making us send another seven cards to the graveyard." Yusei sent his cards to the graveyard along with Breo. "And next I activate Tuning Collapse! This makes you send the top eight cards from your deck to the graveyard since the number of cards equals the level of Stardust Dragon!" Yusei was now down to his last five cards and Era was beyond worried.

' _Keep focused, Yusei,'_ she thought.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Breo finished. Yusei drew his card. "I activate my face down, Tricolor Illusion! Now none of your monster can attack. Also, once during each of your turns, you must reveal the top card of your deck and depending on the type of card, an effect will take place. If it's a monster, it will be added to your hand but you must place another card in your hand to the top of your deck. If it's a spell card, it will be added to your hand. If it's a trap card, you must discard it and one other card in your hand to the graveyard. You can, at any point during your main phase, send the top card on your deck to the graveyard to destroy Tricolor Illusion." Breo then thought, _'Yusei's not a person who would gample, especially with his deck having so little cards left. So he would either destroy Tricolor Illusion with its own effect or the effect of Speed World 2, and that would allow me to activate Destruction Trigger, making his send five cards from the top of his deck to the graveyard and make him lose the duel.'_

To Breo's shock, Yusei called, "I activate the effect of Tricolor Illusion!" He revealed his card to be Junk Synchron. So he put Scrap-Iron Scarecrow from his hand to the top of his deck. "And now I summon Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) in attack mode. Now I tune Card Breaker and Dash Warrior with Junk Synchron to synchro summon. Rise up, Junk Destroyer (Attack 2600/ Defense 2500)!" His monster rose to the field. "Now since Junk Destroyer was synchro summoned, its effect activates. This allows me to destroy your Tricolor Illusion and your face down." The two cards were destroyed, shocking the opponent of Yusei's. "Junk Destroyer, attack Breo directly!"

"I activate my face down, Damage Lance! This reduces Junk Destroyer by 1000 during damage calculation only (Junk Destroyer: Attack 1600) and inflicts 1000 points of damage to you," Breo fought. Yusei's life points fell to 1000 while the direct attack continued and Breo's life points fell to 0. ANd after the damage calculation, the effect of Damage Lance expired returning Junk Destroyer to a full 2600.

Era released and unnoticeable breath that he had survived that match, but with so little cards in his deck and hand, she was worried he might not make the next.


	52. The Edge- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 52: The Edge- Part 2

Third Person POV

Yusei watched as Jean, his newest and last opponent for Team Unicorn, came up to begin his turn. He was growing nervous but was careful not to let it show as Jean drew his card.

"I normal summon Trident Warrior (Attack 1800/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. Now its effect activates, allowing me to special summon Delta Flyer (Attack 1500/ Defense 900) from my hand in attack mode," the last Team Unicorn member declared. "And then I activate the effect of Delta Flyer to increase the level of Trident Warrior by one (Trident Warrior: Level 5). Now I tune Trident Warrior with Delta Flyer to synchro summon, Lightning Tricorn (Attack 2800/ Defense 2000). Lightning Tricorn, attack Junk Destroyer!"

"I remove Shield Warrior in my graveyard from play to prevent Junk Destroyer from being destroyed by battle this turn," Yusei fought. But damage still applied dropping Yusei's life points down to 800.

"Well now I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing four speed counters and showing you my Speed Spell- Tyrant Force in my hand, I can inflict 800 points at you," Jean played.

"I remove Damage Eater that is in my graveyard from play and remove from play one card in my hand to negate the damage I would take and increase my life points by the damage I would have taken," Yusei defended and his life points rose to 1600.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Jean finished. _'Yusei's exhausting his reserves. I just have to make Yusei run out of cards. Everything he does at this point is futile,'_ he thought.

Yusei drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy Lightning Tricorn!" he declared. The monster shattered into light particles. "Junk Destroyer, attack Jean directly!"

"I activate my face down, Reanimation Wave! This halves the battle damage and revives Lightning Tricorn at the end of the damage step," Jean defended. His life points fell to 2700 and his monster returned to the field. "I summon Sonic Chick (Attack 300/ Defense 300) in defense mode and end my turn."

Jean drew his card. "I summon Rhinotaurus (Attack 1800/ Defense 600) in attack mode. Lightning Tricorn, attack Junk Destroyer!" he ordered. The attack succeeded in destroying Yusei's monster and depleting the Signers life points to 1400. "Rhinotaurus, attack Sonic Chick!" The attack destroyed Yusei's last remaining monster. "And now since two of your monsters were destroyed in the same battle phase, Rhinotaurus may attack twice during this battle phase. So, Rhinotaurus, attack Yusei directly!"

"I activate my face down, Harmony Crystal! By removing from play Junk Destroyer and Max Warrior, I can revive Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)," Yusei defended..

"Alright, I won't attack," Jean finished. And due to the last effect of Harmony Crystal, Jean took damage equal to half the attack of Stardust Dragon dropping him to 1450. "I set a card face down and end my turn."

Yusei drew his card. "Stardust Dragon, attack Rhinotaurus!" he ordered and Jean's monster was destroyed while his life points fell to 750.

"I activate my face down, Thousand Crisscross! This makes my life points increase to 1000 since I have less than 1000 life points," Jean defended. "And when this effect is used three times, Thousand Crisscross will be destroyed."

"I set a face down," Yusei finished. "That's all for now."

Jean drew his card. "I activate Superficial Peace! Until the end of this turn, neither player can activate spell or trap cards and no monster can be destroyed in battle," he played. "Lightning Tricorn, attack Stardust Dragon!" Yusei's dragon wasn't destroyed but his life points dropped to 1100. "And now since you took damage, I can destroy your face down and draw one card." Yusei's face down shattered while Jean drew his card as said. "I set two cards face down and end my turn.

' _With only two cards left in my deck and an opponent capable of reading my moves so easily, this doesn't seem like it'll end well,'_ Yusei thought, his nervousness beginning to show.

Meanwhile his team, but Era who was keeping down her worry to try to stay calm, was becoming a frantic in worry.

Suddenly, from the sidelines, a familiar voice called out, "Yusei, don't show fear in this situation!" They turned to see Jack staggering out from the hospital wing, throwing off the assistance of Carly, Stephanie, and Mina. Jack turned to the rest of his team, telling them, "Don't give up on Yusei, no matter how slim the chances are."

"Right," Era agreed. "I, for one, know never to lose hope in anyone. After all, keeping hope is what angels do best. And bringing hope in people only adds to it." She looked at her friends. "Which means you guys can give up on Yusei, either."

"Right," Akiza agreed along with the others.

Era watched as Yusei was spurred into his next draw. He noticed he got a card he needed. "First I summon Synchron Exploder (Attack 0/ Defense 700) in attack mode and activate its effect. This allows me to revive Junk Synchron (Attack 1300/ Defense 500) from my graveyard with its effects negated. Now I tune Synchron Exploder with Junk Synchron to synchro summon, Junk Warrior (Attack 2300/ Defense 1300)!" _'Ever since I learned of that Accel Synchro summon, I have been looking for a new possibility of victory. Though I haven't found the secret of that type of summoning, I have learned a new answer,"_ he thought. "I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Fusion! With it, I fuse Stardust Dragon with Junk Warrior in order to fusion summon. Fly up, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste (Attack 3200/ Defense 2000)!" The monster rose and roared out, readying for battle. "Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste, attack Lightning Tricorn!"

Though Jean's monster was destroyed, he played, "I activate Return Damage! This negates the damage I would take and inflicts it to you equal to the battle damage I would have taken."

"Not quite. Due to the final effect of Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste, that damage is redirected at you," Yusei defended and Jean's life points fell to 600.

"Talk about a move!" Crow commented impressed.

"Yeah," Akiza agreed.

"What's up with Yusei's transformation?" Bruno muttered.

"I wasn't predicting for you to have such a monster," Jean told his opponent shocked.

Meanwhile, Jean's teammates were also surprised by the monster.

"How did Yusei get that card?" Andre asked.

"No idea. We have no data on Yusei ever summoning such a monster," Breo replied.

Even through his shock, Jean continued the duel, "I activate the effect of Thousand Crisscross, returning my life points to 1000. And since Lightning Tricorn was destroyed by battle, I can activate its effect to summon Voltic Bicorn (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000) from my extra deck in attack mode."

"I set a face down and end my turn," Yusei finished.

Jean, being slightly angered, thought, _'Now I have to focus more on trying to get rid of Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste instead of focusing on trying to make Yusei run out of cards. After all, his new monster may have other effects that may turn the tables on me.'_ Jean drew his card. "Voltic Bicorn, attack Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!"

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei defended. "This negates the attack. And after this effect resolves I can reset it." Jean's monster was shot back from its attack and Yusei's card reset itself as said since its job was done for now.

"I set a card face down and end my turn," Jean finished.

Yusei had one last card in his deck and he immediately put all his hopes on it. He drew it and looked at the card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage for each speed spell in my hand," he declared and revealed the Speed Spell- Overspeed, knocking Jean's life points to 200. But Thousand Crisscross activated again returning Jean to a 1000 life points before it was destroyed. "Now I activate the Speed Spell- Overspeed! By removing all my speed counters, I can add Rapid Warrior and Reflect Barrier from my graveyard to my hand, but I can't gain any speed counters for the next three turns. And now I summon Rapid Warrior (Attack 1200/ Defense 200) in attack mode. I then activate its effect! This allows it to attack directly this turn, but no other monsters can attack." Rapid Warrior goes to attack directly.

"I activate my face down, Barrier Wave! By tributing Voltic Bicorn, I can change all of your monsters to defense position," Jean defended and Yusei's monsters turned to defense mode. "And now you take damage equal to the defense of the monster that just attacked!" Yusei's life points immediately dropped to 900.

"I activate A/D Changer from my graveyard! This allows me to switch Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste to attack mode," Yusei declared. "I then end my turn with one face down."

"Will you continue to entertain me?" Jean mocked and drew his card.

"I activate my face down, Summon Tax! Until my second standby phase, if a monster is normal summoned or special summoned, the player who summoned the monster will take damage equal to half that monster's attack," Yusei played.

"I activate the Speed Spell- Tyrant Force! This prevents any of my cards from being destroyed this turn and inflicts 300 points of damage to you each time one or more of my cards are destroyed," Jean fought. "And now I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy Summon Tax."

"I can activate the first effect of Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste. By removing from play Stardust Dragon, I can grant Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste the effects of Stardust Dragon," Yusei declared. "So I activate the first effect of Stardust Dragon granted to Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste. By tributing itself, I can negate the effect of Speed World 2!" His monster disappeared. "And when it's your end phase, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste will be revived due to Stardust Dragon's second effect granted to it."

"Well I normal summon Hypnocorn (Attack 1400/ Defense 700) in attack mode," Jean declared and the effect of Summon Tax activated dropping his life points to 300. "I activate the effect of Hypnocorn to destroy your face down!" The effect of Speed Spell- Tyrant Force activated dropping Yusei's life points to 600. "And now I activate my face down, Chain Whirlwind! This destroys your Summon Tax and face down Scrap-Iron Scarecrow." The effect of Tyrant Force activated again dropping Yusei to 300 life points, tying Jean's.

"If Jean ends his turn right now, Team Unicorn will win the duel!" the MC commented.

Era began to listen in on her mate's opponent's thoughts, _'Should I really make Yusei lose due to having no cards in his deck? Could Yusei still have a reversal plan in this situation? If I end my turn now, it'll be a sure victory.'_ Jean looked at Yusei's set expression, making him hesitate.

To Era's slight shock and respect, Jean launched an attack at Yusei, "Hypnocorn, attack Rapid Warrior!"

"I send Stronghold Guardian from my hand to the graveyard in order to increase the defense of Rapid Warrior by 1500 until the end phase (Rapid Warrior: Defense 1700)!" Yusei defended. The attack failed and Jean's life points fell to 0, leaving Yusei as the victor.


	53. The Team of Catastrophe

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 53: The Team of Catastrophe

Era's POV

The next morning, Yusei and the others return to the stadium with. We however looked over only to find that Andre and Jean had both crashed with Breo beside them in a state of shock. I looked to the side followed by Yusei and saw their opponents, Team Catastrophe standing by in silence but with grins on their faces like nothing had happened.

"Our next opponent is Team Catastrophe, right?" Jack asked. I nodded.

Yusei walked up to Breo. "Breo, what happened?" he asked as I came up to him.

"We're not sure. But we're not the only ones that Team Catastrophe has had crash. Every one of his opponents has crashed," Breo answered.

"We should probably figure this out," Yusei stated.

"I'll try to give you some of our data from their runners," Breo said. They helped Jean and Andre into the booth and Bruno started to analyze the data.

"Both runners had experienced a rapid change in functionality during their duels. Both duel runners had crashed because their rear wheels jammed," Bruno concluded.

"But what would cause the same malfunction over three times?" I asked. "It doesn't add up. And I didn't feel any demons present at the time." Andre and the others seemed a bit confused but shrugged it off for the time being.

Carly came running up. "I have this tape I made of Team Unicorn's duel with Team Catastrophe. Maybe it has something," she stated.

"Why didn't you not mention this earlier?" Jack asked sternly seeming a bit angry.

"It doesn't matter. As long as we have it now," I intervened. As they watch the tape, with it slowed down just before the crashes, nobody could see anything unusual but I had a feeling it wasn't good.

"There isn't anything wrong with the duel runners," Andre commented.

"Something else is there though. Just before every crash, the same monster was on the field," Yusei noticed.

Bruno typed through a bit and located its name. "It's called Hook the Hidden Knight," he informed the group.

"Well, it's a start," I stated.

"I know you were our opponents but just be ready since you're dueling them next," Andre mentions. "We don't need another crash in this tournament." I and Yusei nodded with Jack giving a determined face.

"We need to get out there," Yusei stated.

"Right," I agreed before looking around not hearing a friend. "Wait, where's Akiza?"

Third Person POV

Akiza was on the highway working hard on practicing her skills. She passed under a bridge and was shocked as her duel runner locked up. As she was thrown from the crash, she summoned Rose Tentacles. But as its vines reached for her, she passed right through them.

' _My psychic powers aren't working!'_ she thought before she hit the pavement.

Era's POV

" _Era, you need to get to the hospital,"_ I heard Mina contact me mentally.

" _Why, Mina? What's happened?"_ I asked.

" _She got into a serious crash and is in the hospital,"_ she explained. _"A couple citizens called for it."_

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed, both out loud and mentally. The others looked at her. _"We'll be right there."_

"What's going on?" Yusei asked.

"It's Akiza. She's in the hospital," I answered. They gave me a shocked look as we took off, with me behind Yusei.

"Who told you that, Era?" Leo asked.

"It was Mina. She said that they found Akiza in a crash after a couple citizens called for it. She's being taken to the hospital right now," I explained. "Mina's been talking to me telepathically in case of emergency situations like this. Especially since it seems demons have been getting involved in this tournament."

"Did she say what caused the crash?" Yusei asked.

"She said that her runner seemed to have locked up," I explained.

We arrived at the hospital just to see Akiza being rolled in. She was unconscious with a breather mask on her and was in an obvious critical state.

"Who did this?" Crow asked mad.

"I don't know," Yusei answered.

Bruno phone rang. "We have to get to the stadium. It's almost our time," he informed.

"Bruno, can you stay here and watch Akiza?" I asked. "This way you can keep us informed of her wellbeing."

"Right," he agreed. "Be careful."

"We will," Yusei agreed and everyone but Bruno ran off to duel.

. . .

As they arrived, they looked at Team 5D's they gave subtle shocked expressions. Mostly when they looked at Era.

' _Did they want me to be the victim?'_ I thought. _'I don't even drive a duel runner, though.'_

The MC called for everyone's attention as he exclaimed, "Alright everyone! It's time for the next duel! We have Team Catastrophe versus Team 5D's!" The entire crowd cheered enough for Team Catastrophe but when Team 5D's was called out they went ecstatic.

"Let's get this done," Jack stated as he boarded his runner.

They took off as the duel started and Hermann took the first move having him draw his card. "I summon Hook the Hidden Knight (Attack 1600/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Then I set one face down and end my turn," he declared.

Jack drew his card. "I summon Mad Archfiend (Attack 1800/ Defense 0) in attack mode and have it attack that Hook the Hidden Knight!" he declared.

"I activate Hook the Hidden Knight's effect! This switches both battling monsters to defense mode," Hermann declared. "Then his second ability kicks in which inflicts 800 points of damage to you."

As Jack's life points drop to 3200, Hook the Hidden Knight appears from his shadow and tried to grab Jack's duel runner to made him crash. Jack managed to avoid it while everyone else in the booth was surprised by the appearance of the hook.

"Will he be alright, Era?" Leo asked as he and Luna looked at me.

"He'll be fine," I answered, but I knew I was also trying to reassure myself.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Jack declared.

"My turn!" Hermann shouted drawing his card. "I switch Hook the Hidden Knight to attack mode and summon Dark the Hidden Knight (Attack 800/ Defense 0) in attack mode," he declared. "Next I'll have Dark the Hidden Knight attack you directly thanks to its effect!" The attack was made and forced Jack's life points to 2400. "Now I'll let Hook the Hidden Knight attack your Made Archfiend!"

"I activate Ray of Hope! When I take battle damage that is 1500 point or higher, I can halve the battle damage," Jack declared. Though Mad Archfiend was destroyed, Jack only took 900 points of damage giving him 1500 life points total. The shadow hook tried to get his duel runner again but Jack swerved to avoid it.

"I set one face down," Hermann declared.

"Draw!" Jack exclaimed. "I activate Powerful Rebirth! This lets me revive a level four or below monster from my graveyard with its level increased by one and it gains 100 attack and defense points," he declared. "And I'll summon back Mad Archfiend (Mad Archfiend: Attack 1900/ Defense 100) in attack mode! Now I summon Dark Resonator (Attack 1300/ Defense 300)! Next I activate Fiendish Chain! This allows me to target a monster you control. Its effects are negated and it can't attack and I choose Hook the Hidden Knight! Now I'll have Mad Archfiend attack Dark the Hidden Knight!" The attack was made and Dark the Hidden Knight was destroyed and knocked Hermann's life points from 4000 to 2900! I activate Urgent Tuning from my hand allowing me to tune during the battle phase. So now I tune my level three Dark Resonator and my level five Mad Archfiend to summon Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000)!" The dragon appeared on the field ready for battle. "I activate Half Seize halving Hook the Hidden Knight's attack (Hook the Hidden Knight: Attack 900). Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his Hook the Hidden Knight!" Jack ordered his dragon. Hook the Hidden Knight was destroyed with Hermann's life points dropping to 800. "Now I activate Sonic Buster allowing me to target one of my monsters, and dealing damage to you equaling half that monster's attack. I'll choose Red Dragon Archfiend for this effect." The final blow was made and Hermann's life points dropped to zero making Jack the winner for the first duelist.

As Jack made laps around gaining speed counters, Hermann passed the baton to Nicolas. He drew his card and only set a card face down before ending his turn.

Jack drew. "I send Dread Dragon from my hand to the graveyard to summon Power Giant (Attack 2200/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack mode but Power Giant's level is lowered by the level of Dread Dragon (Power Giant: Level 4)," he declared. "Now, Power Giant, attack him directly!"

"I activate Doom Ray which deals 800 points damage to both of us for every card in my hand!" Nicolas declared. "Which means we both take 4000 points of damage."

' _He wants to destroy Jack's runner with that shadow effect of Doom Ray. He doesn't realize Power Giant's effect and that he and Team Catastrophe will be taken out too by the blast,'_ I thought.

"I activate Power Giant's effect which turns the effect damage to zero until the end of the damage step," Jack retorted.

While Jack took no damage, Nicolas took it all making his life points drop to zero and destroyed Nicolas' runner due to the shadow effect of his card.

An explosion occurred due to the card. Yusei and I grew concerned it was Jack but I was completely relieved when Jack rode out of the flames carrying Nicolas. Due to Nicolas' destroyed runner, Team Catastrophe lost by default.

"That's it, everyone! Team 5D's has beaten the powerful Team Catastrophe and are moving on to the finals!" the MC exclaimed with cheers following from the entire crowd.

Jack delivered Nicolas to the other two members of Team Catastrophe before riding over to his team.

"Nice work, Jack," Yusei complimented.

Yusei, Era, and Jack looked out at the sky while it began to get heavy, dark cloud cover. "Something's coming, guys," I comment as I felt demonic energy in it. "Something you won't like."


	54. The Plan- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 54: The Plan- Part 1

Third Person POV

An army of Ghosts drove through the highways where duels from the World Racing Grand Prix were taking place, each in separate groups for each duel.

Some of the robots arrived where Team White Tiger was dueling against Team Lightning. They surrounded the White Tiger duelist and said, "We will join the duel."

"Duel system switching to battle royal mode," stated the computer system.

"Battle royal?" the Team Lightning repeated.

"I summon Ally Salvo! Ally Salvo, attack these two!" the Ghost ordered together and the two human duelists and sends them into a tumbling crash.

. . .

Watching the carnage from above, Primo stated, "The World Racing Grand Prix has been changed into battle royal mode. The turbo duelists' fates are at stake in these duels. If they want to live, they had better complete the Grand Design."

. . .

Back at the stadium, the MC called, "Crashes are occurring all over the highways!"

"Let's go talk to Mina and Trudge about this," Era suggested. The others nodded and got onto their duel runners. I flew this time, despite Yusei's small, Angelic-spoken protests, and we hurried to where Trudge, Mina, and a few Sector Security were looking over the highway.

"Trudge! Mina!" Yusei called as they stopped. The two officers turned as Era landed beside Yusei as he ran up to them.

"What's going on?" Era asked.

Suddenly, a Security operator came up and said, "Sir, the highway's turbo dueling system has been changed into battle royal mode. There's a strange signal I am trying to identify."

They followed the officer who soon found the location. Shocking everyone there, it was revealed that the signal was coming from the Ghost.

"Looks like that army of Ghosts Primo was talking to Brehnam about while I was captured," Era commented. "That isn't good." They turned to see Sherry and Elsworth come up. "Nice to see you again, Sherry, Elsworth."

"You as well, Era," Sherry responded.

"The Ghost has appeared again," Yusei told them.

"The army of Ghosts can only mean that Yliaster is trying to destroy the tournament," Bruno stated.

"No," Era responded. "They're after something bigger than that. If you recall, they hosted this tournament. They would want to destroy it. And considering the fact that when I was captured by Primo and Brehnam, it sounded like the army of Ghosts was an idea made only between Primo and Brehnam."

"Is Primo going rogue, then?" Yusei asked.

"I don't know," Era answered. "I don't like it, though."

"Either way, we need to fight together against the Ghost army. Hopefully, we can find Primo who is probably controlling them before we're overwhelmed by sheer numbers," Yusei suggested.

"I can handle that," Era stated.

"Era, you're not going after Primo without me like this. Especially if Brehnam is working with Primo as well," Yusei denied quickly.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Era responded before taking off.

"Era!" Yusei called but sighed in defeat.

"You going after her, Yusei?" Crow asked.

"I'll worry about her later," he answered. "If something happens, I'll know and get to her."

"How can you get to her?" Trudge asked.

"That's right, he never told you did he?" Leo responded rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Tell us what?" Mina asked.

"I'm an angel," Yusei answered, shocking them, including Sherry and Elsworth.

"An angel?" Sherry repeated.

"How long have you been an angel?" Mina asked.

"Since just after defeating the King of the Underworld," Yusei answered. "But we can worry about this after we stop the Ghost army."

"We will help you," Sherry agreed with Elsworth nodded.

"Same here!" called Kaz's voice as he drove up.

"Be careful. In battle royal mode, anyone can attack anyone, and the Ghost seem to be using that to their advantage," Trudge stated.

"And in a duel against a Ghost, the players suffer real damage. We can't afford to take the situation lightly," Yusei added.

They nodded and took off.

. . .

As Yusei and the others headed for the highway, Jakob said, "Some of the parts of the Grand Design are lighting up."

"Completing the Circuit is so boring and troublesome," Lester commented. Brehnam sat above them on a railing, watching closely.

"We need the Ener-D's strength for that," Jakob responded. "Even though the world doesn't understand the true power of the duel runner and its energy source. When the Circuit is finally completed, the location of a God shall be revealed."

"The Circuit itself is as big as New Domino City; When it completes itself, the city will be destroyed," Lester added.

"It is a small sacrifice on our path to save the future," Jakob responded calmly.

"But what is this future that you desire to save with, Jakob?" Brehnam chimed in making the two look at him. "An ideal future for angels is one of paradise and peace. An ideal future for demons is one of darkness and destruction. What is _your_ ideal future?"

"It is simple, Brehnam," Jakob responded. He was about to complete his answer when Lester exclaimed something alarming to the Emperor.

"The Ghost!" they turned to see images of it appear on the screen.

"They are the robots Primo created," Jakob recognized. "What're they doing out?"

"Your companion unleashed them to do something big," Brehnam answered.

"Was it your idea?" Lester asked.

"No, it was his alone. Remember, my goal here is to get revenge on Era and Yusei," Brehnam answered. "I have no true need to get too involved like this in your petty reach for a 'golden' future." He intentionally put air quotes around "golden" before taking off.

Jakob turned back to the screen with the Ghost. _'What is Primo thinking?'_

. . .

Back at the highway, three Ghost robots were trying to defeat a female duelist.

 **(A/N: I will be numbering the Ghosts like "Ghost 1" and "Ghost 2" to make telling them apart easier. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but don't be too harsh about it please.)**

Ghost 1 called, "Nullfier, attack her directly!"

"Swift Scarecrow, block that attack!" called Yusei's voice as his monster protected the duelist.

The Ghosts and duelist were surprised to see Yusei, Sherry, and Elsworth. "Hey, aren't you from Team 5D's?" the duelist asked Yusei.

"Drop out now. We'll deal with this," Yusei suggested.

"Thanks," she responded before dropping out from the duel.

Yusei quickly called forth Stardust Dragon and defeated the Ghosts along with Sherry and Elsworth.

. . .

At another location, a Ghost attacked another duelist with Clausolas when Kaz and Jack came up. Kaz directed the damage towards him with his Battle Eater while Jack proceeded to assault the Ghost with Red Dragon Archfiend, inflicting major damage.

. . .

Primo was quick to notice four more Ghost units were defeated. "Is Yusei behind this?"

Jakob appeared over a video call and asked, "Primo, what do you think you are you doing?"

"I'm not satisfied with your methods of completing the Circuit. Instead, I am forcing duels to speed up the process," Primo explained.

"The Ghost assault will not bring out the duelists' potential, which means the Circuit can't truly be completed," Jakob countered.

Lester appeared and told Primo, "Listen to Jakob. The one who stands in your way is Yusei, and you already lost to him."

Aggravated, Primo cut the conversation. "I will show Yusei that he can't win against me," he stated.

. . .

Jack and Kaz were facing four Ghost units when the robots suddenly broke off and went into other riding lanes.

"Where are they going?" Kaz wondered.

. . .

At the stadium, Mina and Trudge watched the monitor.

"That's strange," Mina commented.

"Yeah," Trudge agreed. "The Ghost are all moving towards one sole point."

. . .

Back at the highway, Yusei defeated another robot with Stardust Dragon.

"Do you think it is over yet?" Sherry asked.

That's when they heard the multitude of Ghosts coming up behind them. Yusei immediately listened hard to everything around him. He heard Primo say in the far distance as the Emperor laughed, "I have specifically ordered the Ghost army to target the primary threats to my plan."

He looked at his teammates. "Be careful, Primo is sending the entire army after us," he told them.

"How do you know that?" Elsworth asked.

"Being an angel, I could hear him mention it from somewhere nearby," Yusei answered shocking them. An Infinity symbol appeared beneath the road as one of the Ghosts commenced the duel. "The Ghost just forced the duel on us. We need to be careful."

Ghost 1 went first and called, "I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg (Attack 1600/ Defense 800) in attack mode. I set two face downs and end my turn."

Elsworth went second. "I summon Spirit Summit Warrior (Attack 1200/ 0) in attack mode. Next I activate its effect to special summon Liberated Rear Warrior (Attack 0/ Defense 1200) from my hand in attack position. Now I tune Spirit Summit Warrior with Liberated Rear Warrior in order to synchro summon. Come forth, Driven Daredevil (Attack 2400/ Defense 2100)!" he called. "Driven Daredevil, attack Ally of Justice Garadholg!" The attack succeeded in destroying the monster and dropping Ghost 1's life points to 3200.

Sherry went next. "I activate the Speed Spell- Overboost! This increased my speed counters by four. Next I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Fusion to fuse Sacred Knight's Spearholder with Horse of the Floral Knights in order to fusion summon. Ride, Centaur Mina (Attack 2200/ Defense 1600)!" she declared. "Next I normal summon Fleur Synchron (Attack 400/ Defense 200). Now I tune Centaur Mina with Fleur Synchron to synchro summon. Bloom, Chevalier de Fleur (Attack 2700/ Defense 2300)! Chevalier de Fleur, attack the Ghost directly!" The attack hit dropping its life points to 500. "I end my turn."

Yusei drew his card to take his turn. "I send Quillbolt Hedgehog from my hand to the graveyard to special summon Quickdraw Synchron (Attack 700/ Defense 1400) in attack mode. Next I activate the effect of Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800) to summon itself from the graveyard. Since my opponents control synchro monsters and I don't, I can special summon Reed Butterfly (Attack 300/ Defense 600) from my hand in attack mode. Now I tune Reed Buttefly, Quillbolt Hedgehog with Quickdraw Synchron in order to synchro summon Road Warrior (Attack 3000/ Defense 1500)!" he declared. "Now I activate the effect the effect of Road Warrior to special summon Speed Warrior (Attack 900/ Defense 400) from my deck in attack position. Speed Warrior, attack the second Ghost directly!" The attack hit dropping it to 3100. "Road Warrior, attack the third Ghost directly!" The attack hit dropping the other bot to 1000 life points. "I set a face down and end my turn." Ghost 2 took its turn, drawing its card to begin it. Just then, Yusei called, "I activate my face down, Synchro Prominence to inflict 1000 points of damage to my opponent for each synchro monster on the field!" Ghost 1 and 3 were quickly taken out while Ghost 2 was left with 2100 life points.

"I summon Ally of Justice Tractor (Attack 0/ Defense 0)!" Ghost 2 declared. "I tribute Ally of Justice Tractor to add two Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateways from my deck to my hand. Next I special summon three Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateways (Attack 2400/ Defense 1200 for each) in attack mode since you have at least two monsters that include a light attributed monster. Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway, attack Driven Daredevil!" The attack destroyed both monsters in a double knock out. "The last of them, attack Elsworth directly!"

"Elsworth!" Yusei called as the attacks hit and the man was sent out of control when he lost.

"I set a card to end my turn," Ghost 2 finished. Ghost 4 drew and Ghost 2 called, "I activate DNA Transplant! Now all monsters on the field become light attributed."

"I summon Ally Salvo (Attack 400/ Defense 300) in attack mode," Ghost 4 declared. "Ally Salvo, attack Chevalier de Fleur!"

"Chevalier!" Sherry called to defend.

Ghost 4's mode was destroyed, but the fourth Ghost grinned and called as his life points fell to 1700, "I activate Ally Salvo's effect! This destroys your Chevalier de Fleur and Speed Warrior!"

The duel went on and the rest of the Ghosts continued to summon Ally Salvos. They were quick to attack Sherry directly until she fell as well, leaving Yusei to deal with the Ghosts alone.

. . .

Era was flying through the sky when she noticed a familiar figure standing on a high building watching everything play out. She glared and silently landed behind him.

"What do you think you're doing, Primo?" she asked catching his attention.

He turned to her and her glared with an amused grin. "Shouldn't you be hiding behind your mate?" he asked.

"I don't try to hide behind him. He's just protective of me, that's all," Era responded. "But what're you doing to this tournament? To these duelists who just came to win a tournament to be called champion, huh? What's your endgame here?" They both glared at each other; one with a devious smirk, one with a deadly serious face. Both waiting for the other to make their move.


	55. The Plan- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 55: The Plan- Part 2

Yusei' POV

The duel had continued and it wasn't good. My Road Warrior was destroyed and I only had 2400 life points left to battle the Ghost army. Things weren't looking up, but I kept to Era's teaching and forced myself to stay hopeful.

 **-Flashback-**

I was standing next to Era practicing the Demon Exorcist spell. I turned to my mate as it failed. "How do you do this so well?" I asked.

"It comes with practice, Yusei. It isn't easy to do, but with a little practice and hope, anything is possible," she answered. "A single chance is a galaxy of hope **(A/N: First person to tell me what reference that is from, I'll give a shout out to!)**."

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"It means, Yusei, that there is always a chance. And when there is a chance, there is hope. And that single chance will give the galaxy hope," Era explained. "An angel's job isn't just to destroy demons and protect their home planet. An angel's job is to stay hopeful at all times and never give up. If we give up on ourselves, we're giving up on the world. So you have to keep your hope alive, no matter the situation you're in. It's what an angel does, Yusei. It's what _you_ must do."

 **-Flashback Ended-**

' _Don't worry, Era,'_ I thought. _'I'll finish this, and then I'll find you.'_

One of the Ghost called, "Ally Salvo, attack Yusei direction!" My life points fell to 2000.

All other Ghosts began to attack me when a voice called, "Teach Genus Blade Blaster!" Vizor came in as the duel was canceled for the moment. I would have to thank him later. "I summon Buster Blaster (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack position and activate its effect to equip itself onto Blade Blaster, decreasing its attack and defense by 500 (Tech Genus Blade Blaster: Attack 2800/ Defense 1700). Tech Genus Blade Blaster, attack one of the Ally Salvos!" The attack destroyed the monster and the second effect of Bust Blaster destroyed all of the other Ally Salvos as they were the same type as the destroyed Ally Salvo.

Vizor and I quickly sped away from our opponents. "Vizor!" I called recognizing him.

"Yusei, now's the time for the accel synchro summon," he responded.

"I don't know how," I admitted.

"The Ener-D of one's duel runner is connected to the feelings of one's heart. So to achieve an unlimited acceleration, one must have a clear mind," Vizor advised.

Third Person POV

Primo noticed that Yusei and Vizor were breaking away, breaking off the stare off between Era in the process.

"You haven't answered my question, Primo," Era told him. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't have to explain to such a weakling like you," he answered before jumping off the building. Era immediately ran to the edge to see him being caught by a duel runner before it landed with him safe and he drove off.

Yusei's POV

Vizor and I turned as we heard someone driving up. It wasn't a Ghost, I could tell that much. When the person came up, I recognized him in an instant, "What're you doing here, Primo?"

"Yusei, I will be your next opponent," he answered making me glare.

"Where's Era?" I asked.

"I ditched her to find you," he answered. "But there's no telling if Brehnam has got her."

I glared even further while Vizor pushed Primo back. "Now, Yusei," my teammate ordered. "Do the accel synchro."

I slowly nodded before moving to clear my mind. I began to accelerate forward and everything was becoming clear when the Meklord Emperors entered my mind.

' _No, I can't think about them. If I complete accel synchro, I'll be able to stop them. I know it,'_ I thought as things began to clear up. I was quick to allow the giant monsters to disappear from my mind and it wasn't long before I couldn't hear anything but the wind. It was then that I felt my spirit disappear.

Third Person POV

Primo and Vizor watched as Yusei disappeared in a flash of light. _'He did it,'_ Vizor thought.

"I don't know what game you are playing or who you are," Primo called to Vizor. "But you are going down." He drew his card. "I summon Wise Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in defense mode and set a face down. That ends my turn."

"Since I control a monster and you control none, I can special summon Tech Genus Striker (Attack 800/ Defense 0) from my hand in attack mode," Vizor began. "Since I special summoned a level four or below monster, I can special summon Tech Genus Warwolf (Attack 1200/ Defense 0). Now I tune Tech Genus Warwolf with Tech Genus Striker in order to synchro summon Tech Genus Power Gladiator (Attack 2300/ Defense 1000)!" His monster came to the field, eyes ready to attack. "Tech Genus Power Gladiator, attack Wise Core!"

"I activate Twin Vortex! This destroys both Wise Core and Tech Genus Power Gladiator," Primo defended. And since Tech Genus Power Gladiator was destroyed, its final effect activated, allowing Vizor to draw one card. "And now since Wise Core was destroyed, its effect activated, allowing me to summon Meklord Emperor Wisel (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Wisel Top (Attack 500/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Wisel Attack (Attack 1200/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Wisel Guard (Attack 0/ Defense 1200) in defense mode, and Wisel Carrier (Attack 800/ Defense 600) in attack mode. And now due to the effect of Meklord Emperor Wisel, these monsters combine together and its attack becomes equal to the attack of every other Wisel monster I control (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 2500/ Defense 0)."

"I set two cards to end my turn," Vizor finished.

Primo drew his card. "Meklord Emperor Wisel, attack Tech Genus Rush Rhino!" he ordered and the attack succeeded while Vizor's life points fell to 3100. The final effect of Tech Genus Rush Rhino activated allowing Vizor to added another Tech Genus Rush Rhino to his hand from his deck. "I set two cards and end my turn."

Vizor drew his card. "I summon Tech Genus Cyber Magician (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack position. Now I use its effect to tune the Tech Genus Rush Rhino in my hand to Tech Genus Cyber Magician in order to synchro summon Tech Genus Wonder Magician (Attack 1900/ Defense 0)!" he declared. "Next I activate my face down known as Double Type Rescue. This revives Tech Genus Power Gladiator (Attack 2300/ Defense 1000) in attack position since I control two types of monsters. After all, with Tech Genus Wonder Magician's effect, it is treated as both a spellcaster type and a machine type monster."

Yusei's POV

I accelerated as I felt myself being transported. I kept my eyes closed until I felt my feet land on solid ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw I was at a crater far from the highway, where a stone tablet has crashed into the ground with a look similar to a card. I slowly touched the slab and I felt myself be taken to another place.

I noticed I was back in the grid like plane with the machine in front of me. "Take this, Yusei Fudo," he said while a blank synchro monster card appeared in front of me. I took it in my hand to look at it. "The card is rightfully yours. All possibilities must be made equal."

"What does that mean?" I asked. But I quickly found myself back at the crater where the tablet was now blank. _'I need to get back to the highway,'_ I thought before taking off again, using the way of accel synchro to get back.

Third Person POV

"I recognize you now," Primo said. "I had encountered you on a seaside highway before. At the time, you had since you were created for the purpose of defeating the three of us. But when I was about to hit a stray cat, you slammed my duel runner out of the way and lost control of your own and crashed into the ocean. I left you for dead, but this time…"

"I tune Tech Genus Power Gladiator with Tech Genus Wonder Magician to accel-" Vizor stopped as the Ghost army surrounded him, making it so he couldn't accel synchro. "I end my turn."

Ghost 1 drew his first card. "I summon Ally Salvo (Attack 400/ Defense 300) in attack mode! Ally Salvo, attack Tech Genus Wonder Magician!" Tech Genus Wonder Magician destroyed Ally Salvo while dropping Ghost 1's life points to 2500. "Now the effect of Ally Salvo activated, destroying your Tech Genus Power Gladiator and your set card."

Yusei suddenly arrived and drove through all the Ghosts. "Primo," he called. "I think I'm ready to face you."

"You are? Well, then, let's…" he was cut off as Lester and Jakob contact him.

"Primo, stop," Jakob ordered. "Yusei has been chosen to receive a powerful gift."

"Yeah, you really don't want to fight him," Lester warned.

Ignoring his fellow Emperors, Primo turned to Yusei and said, "I will gladly take you on, Yusei."

"Go, Yusei. I'll dispose of the minions on my own," Vizor vowed.

Primo used his sword and unlocked a new mode on his duel runner. His duel runner transformed a bit and Primo merged with it. "I will gladly take you down," he stated and the duel began.


	56. The Final Move

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 56: The Final Move

Era's POV

I watched from above as Yusei began his duel with Primo. I didn't like it. There were a lot of risks, but I knew there was no way for me to help Yusei at the moment. And I knew this was something he had to do.

' _Be careful, Yusei,'_ I thought.

As battle royale mode was still activated, Primo started with Meklord Emperor Wisel, 4 speed counters, and two face downs. "The actions of Yliaster are our God's Will," Primo stated.

"I send Quillbolt Hedgehog from my hand to the graveyard to special summon Quickdraw Synchron (Attack 700/ Defense 1400) in attack mode. And since I control a tuner monster, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800) from my graveyard. Then I summon Needle Soldier (Attack 100/ Defense 100) in attack mode. Now I tune Quillbolt Hedgehog and Needle Soldier with Quickdraw Synchron to synchro summon. Fight, Junk Destroyer (Attack 2600/ Defense 2500)!" Yusei called forth.

Primo laughed. "My Meklord can absorb any synchro monster that you summon!" he reminded his opponent.

Yusei ignored him and continued the duel, "Since Junk Destroyer was synchro summoned, its effect activates. An effect allowing me to destroy one of your cards for every non-tuner used to summon it, like Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity and one of your face downs."

"I activate Divergence! This redirects the effect of Junk Destroyer from Meklord Emperor Wisel to Wisel Carrier! Besides, Wisel Carrier cannot be destroyed by your card effects!" Primo defended.

"Junk Destroyer, attack Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity!" Yusei ordered.

"I believe you have forgotten Wisel Guard's effect. This redirects the attack to itself instead," Primo defended further, while his monster was destroyed.

"Well, thanks to Needle Soldier, Junk Destroyer still inflicts damage to you," Yusei responded and Primo's life points fell to 2600. "I set two face downs and end my turn."

"I will make you pay for that," Primo vowed drawing his card. "Meklord Emperor Wisel, absorb his Junk Destroyer!"

"I activate Star Shift!" Yusei countered. "This lets me replace Junk Destroyer with Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)!" I sighed in relief as, for now, the Meklord Emperor's effect was negated."

"I set a card to end my turn," Primo finished.

Yusei drew his card. "I summon Bicular (Attack 200/ Defense 200) in defense mode. And then I activate Emerging Awakening to remove from play Stardust Dragon and inflict damage to you equal to Star Dragon's level times 100. Stardust Dragon is a level eight, meaning you're dealt 800 points of damage," he declared. Primo's life points fell 1800. "I set a card face down. That ends my turn."

Suddenly, my locket went off and I opened it to see a message from Yue. I immediately sent a message to Yusei after reading Yue's message.

Yusei looked at it and went wide eyed. "Alright, Era, I'll remember," he whispered.

Primo drew his card. "I activate Explosive Blast! This destroys Wisel Carrier (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 1700) and inflicts 400 points of damage to you," he declared and Yusei's life points fell to 3600. "Then I normal summon Skiel Carrier 3 (Attack 600/ Defense 200) in attack mode (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 2300). Next I tribute my Skiel Carrier 3 to special summon Skiel Carrier 5 (Attack 800/ Defense 400) in attack mode (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 2500)."

' _Those are parts of the Meklord Emperor monster Leo and Luna faced. This will be even more difficult since Primo's using Skiel's parts to improve Wisel,'_ I thought. _"Careful, Yusei. Don't push him off the edge.'_

"Meklord Emperor Wisel, attack Bicular!" Primo ordered. Yusei's monster was destroyed and due to Skiel Carrier 5 effect, since it destroyed Meklord Emperor Wisel destroyed a monster in battle, Yusei was dealt 300 points of damage bringing him to 3300. Suddenly, a massive blackout shot across the city and I could only guess it was from the Meklord Emperor's power.

"I activate the effect of Bicular. This special summons Unicycular (Attack 100/ Defense 100) in defense mode," Yusei fought.

"I set a face down," Primo finished.

Yusei drew his card and the final effect of Emerging Awakening activated, special summoning Stardust Dragon from the removed from play zone with its attack increased by its level time 100 (Stardust Dragon: Attack 3300). "I summon Turbo Synchron (Attack 100/ Defense 500) in attack mode. Next I tune Unicycular with Turbo Synchron in order to synchro summon Formula Synchron (Attack 200/ Defense 1500). Then I activate the effect of Formula Synchron to draw one card," the Signer and angel declared. "Alright, time for an accel synchro summon," I heard Yusei mutter closing his eyes in thought. "I tune level eight Stardust Dragon with level two Formula Synchron!"

"Didn't your father seek human evolution? And he had caused Zero Reverse," Primo taunted. Yusei, however, ignored Primo, shocking the opponent. My mate then shot away into disappearance. "What in…?!"

Suddenly, a shock wave was sent from behind Primo and it was powerful enough to make me lose a bit of balance in the air. Yusei then came out a wall of light calling, "Appear, Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)!"

Primo growled in frustration and slight worry. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy Shooting Star Dragon!" he declared.

"I activate the effect of Shooting Star Dragon! This removes it from play and allows me to negate one attack you make to me for this turn," Yusei defended.

"I end my turn," Primo finished.

"And since you have, Shooting Star Dragon returns to the field," Yusei informed as his dragon came back to his side.

"First I activate the first effect of Shooting Star Dragon to reveal the top five cards of my deck. For each tuner monster I pick up, Shooting Star Dragon gains that many attacks," Yusei declared and he pulled his cards. I saw them and they were all tuners. "I pulled five tuners meaning Shooting Star Dragon can attack five times. So Shooting Star Dragon, attack Meklord Emperor Wisel!"

As the first attack went, Primo called, "I activate Skiel Carrier 5's effect to negate the attack!" The second one went. "I use the effect of Wisel Guard 3 to redirect the attack to itself and due to its effect, it's not destroyed."

"Shooting Star Dragon, attack Wisel Guard 3, Wisel Attack 3, and Skiel Carrier 5!" Yusei called. All three were destroyed and so were Primo's life points.

"My Meklord Emperor can't be defeated by any human!" Primo called out as he crashed. His duel runner went into pieces as his upper torso was ripped away from the machine.

I landed next to Yusei as he stopped. He looked at me, "Thanks for reminding me about my father and everything. I would've gotten distracted and probably not been able to do the accel synchro summon without it."

"Of course, Yusei," I responded. "But we need to check on Primo."

Yusei nodded and we approached Primo to see he was a robot after all. But suddenly, Primo, his sword, and his duel runner began to levitate. We looked to see Primo being brought back to Jakob and Lester. Brehnam stepped next to them and Yusei glared while immediately pulling and keeping me behind him.

"Welcome, it is nice to see you again," Jakob greeted.

"Can't say the same to you," I retorted.

Jakob chuckled. "I supposed the feelings wouldn't be as mutual," he stated. "Even though ours were quite sarcastic."

"Why are you here? Why would you sabotage the tournament?" Yusei asked.

"This situation in the tournament wasn't our doing completely. Primo had just gone a bit rogue. But don't worry about him," Jakob answered. "We're here to reform the world into a better age. History has created a bleak picture for the future and we will change it so the future will be as more a utopian society that it should be."

"You think by destroying this city you'll create a better world?" I responded tense. "Millions of people will get hurt. Don't you consider it wrong to do this?"

"As the saying goes, you can make an omelet without breaking a few eggs," Jakob replied. "By using the energy made in the duelists of this tournament, the Circuit and Grand Design will be complete. And when that happens, the world will change. We will be participating in the WRGP. We will be the final element to recreating the world."

"Who are you to say the world needs to be changed?" Yusei asked.

"We are the three Emperors of Yliaster and we can see the changes the world needs by simply looking at the history of it," Jakob answered. "If you wish to stop us, you will have to face us in the World Racing Grand Prix. Now I believe it is time we take our leave."

They left, except for Brehnam. "Got something else to say, Brehnam?" Yusei growled.

"I can't wait to see your face when that curse kicks into effect," Brehnam stated with a depraved grin.

"What is the curse?" Yusei asked.

"I would tell you, but that would spoil the fun, now wouldn't it?" Brehnam responded.

"You're going to take it off her," Yusei demanded.

"No, besides, I cannot do that myself," Brehnam responded. "Only those who cast the curse can take it off whether it is by choice or by dying. And with my little messenger staying in the Underworld, I'm afraid you and your little angel won't be able to get it off."

"Do you really think it'll be on long enough for it's effect to take place?" Yusei asked. "I will find a way to take it off."

"Only someone as powerful as the Crimson Dragon can take off the curse. After all, it's linked straight to the rulers of the Underworld," Brehnam responded. "And I'm the only ruler there is."

"And you'll be the last there is," Yusei retorted.

"Why do silent, Guardian Angel? Demon got your tongue?" Brehnam taunted. He suddenly teleported next to me and whispered, "Once you're back in the Underworld, we'll be having plenty of fun."

"She's not going back," Yusei retorted hearing him and pulling me away from Brehnam as the demon reached to touch my wings again. "Don't even bother trying."

"You don't know what you're dealing with, Yusei. When you find out, you'll wish you hadn't," Brehnam responded with a grin before flying off.

"Yusei…" I called quietly, concerned.

"I'm fine, Era," he responded. "I'm just worried that this curse is going to do something worse than we realize. But you'll be okay; I'll make sure of it." I gave a slow nod and leaned into his chest while he held me close. "Come on. We need to go regroup with the others." I nodded again and followed him back to Mina and Trudge as Jack, Crow, Kaz, and the twins came up as well.

"Hey guys," Mina greeted. "The tournament is going to be held off for a couple weeks so injured duelists can recuperate for the tournament again and damages on the roads can be fixed."

"Okay, I think we all need that after today," Yusei agreed.

"Yeah, we probably do," I agreed.

"Did you find out anything about what happened with the Ghosts?" Trudge asked.

Yusei explained what the Emperors said and they all seemed worried about the coming events. However, Yusei still did not mention the curse mark or Brehnam showing up and talking to us after.

"This isn't good," Crow stated.

"If they're planning on destroying the world to rebuild a society…" Yusei trailed off.

"To think, Brehnam actually told us the truth," I muttered.

"What was that, Era?" Jack asked sounding frustrated.

"A while back, Yusei and I were scouting for demons when Brehnam showed up. He explained to us about why he teamed up with Yliaster," I explained. "He called them 'idiots' initially which is what confused us in the first place. According to what he told us and what seems correct, Yliaster is planning on destroying the world to rebuild a utopian society. However, the demons are going to use that destruction and betray Yliaster in order to make the world in the view of the original King of the Underworld. In other words, he'll keep the world dark and destroyed."

"You knew this and didn't tell us?!" Jack exclaimed.

"We weren't sure if he was lying to try to frighten us or if he was telling the truth. With the uncertainty, we didn't want to tell you something to could've been false," Yusei explained calmly.

"Back up, why was Yusei helping scout for demons?" Trudge asked.

"Oh yeah, we never told you, did we?" I replied awkwardly. "Yusei's an angel."

"You're kidding, right?" Trudge asked.

"No, she's not," Yusei answered for me, and quite blunt as well. "I became an angel after defeating the King of the Underworld."

"Now, is there anything more you would like to warn us about?" Crow asked.

I sighed. "The Stars of Darkness are beginning to align," I stated.

"Stars of what?" Leo questioned.

"Stars of Darkness. When an angel, and even demon, dies, they become a star, a sun in the sky. However, unlike all others, two secondary kings and the King of the Underworld were killed and turned into dark, black stars that can't be seen with the naked eye. They were also killed exactly five thousand- two hundred years apart. Exactly nine months after each secondary king was killed, their star aligned with hours and the world and sun go completely dark. And during that time, the demons gain unimaginable power. Angels nearly became extinct each time. And the King of the Underworld, the newest and third Star of Darkness, was killed five thousand- two hundred years apart from the second secondary king. On the last day of the tournament, the Stars of Darkness will align with each other and with our sun."

"Meaning demons will be stronger than ever," Crow realized.

"Yes," Yusei answered. "And that means this world is in danger of demons, even more so than before. And currently, only Era, May, and I are the only angels fully capable of fighting the demons. All other angels are still healing from Izoa or are in training. I'm not sure they would be able to help. And this doesn't help the situation either." He showed the others the curse mark on my arm. "Some demon placed a curse on Era for Brehnam and neither one will tell us anything on it other that its effect takes place on the Day of Darkness, or when the Stars of Darkness turn this world dark."

"Have you tried a spell to take it off?" Luna asked.

"Both of us at the same time," I answered. "I've never seen a curse like this or as powerful as this. Usually I can read what the curse mark means and says. But it's in a language I've never seen before, let alone decipher it. So there's no telling what it is or what it'll do."

"I told you, Era, I'll find a way to get it off," Yusei responded.

"You'll need to figure out what it is first, Yusei," I responded.

"Era…" Yusei sighed.

"Well, as for the situation now, we should all get some rest. It's been a long day," I tried to change the topic."

"Are you going to be scouting tonight?" Luna asked.

"As always," I answered.

"Era, I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Fighting a demon might strengthen the curse," Crow responded. "And after this Ghost fight, there will probably be demons everywhere."

"I'll be fine," I responded. "You don't need to be worried about me." I gave an annoyed sigh. "I've got enough of that from Yusei." Yusei immediately gave me a warning, yet prodding glare.

Yusei sighed. "Let's just get back," he suggested. "We can worry more about this later."

The others nodded and we took off with our own travel decisions, mine being flying despite Yusei's protests.


	57. The Reluctance of Her Inner Self

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

 **Hey, guys! Sorry this took so long to get up. I had exams for school and then for some reason my account decided to not want to allow me to download chapters onto my document manager. So, yeah. I've been ridiculously busy and then my account decided to be stupid. So I've been unable to update anything. At least, it's up now and I am truly sorry it took so long. The other will come up as soon as I can.**

 **Also, I would like to give a shout out, as promised, to Yukou Fukui. She is right and figured out the reference it was from first. Yes, it is from Star Wars. It is from the Clone Wars animated series if you didn't know, so nice job Yukou!**

 **Now, back to the chapter that took so long to get up. I hope you like it!**

Chapter 57: The Reluctance of Her Inner Self

Era's POV

I was flying around the night sky with Yusei, scouting for demons as usual. It had been a week since Primo had used his plan with his army of Ghosts. I looked down slightly. I was so confused about… myself. _'What have I become?'_ I thought.

"Era?" called Yusei's voice. It snapped me back to reality and I looked at my mate. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Yusei," I told him. "Don't worry about me."

"I will worry about you, Era. Especially with that face you were making a minute ago," Yusei retorted.

"What face was I making?" I asked.

"A sad and confused sort of face," Yusei answered. He gently grabbed my hand and pulled me to a hover. "Come on, Era. Tell me what's going on in your mind."

"It's nothing. Really," I responded.

"Era, you can't hide stuff from me," Yusei responded. "Especially after everything that's been happening."

"It's just…" I stopped and looked down. Yusei slowly pulled my face so I met his eyes. "I just… I don't know exactly what's happened to me since I met you. Especially after becoming your mate."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked concerned.

"It's like I've gotten weaker," I answered. "I've become so reliant on you and I can't seem to get into any sort of trouble without you helping me. Before I met you, no matter what trouble I came into I would be able to get out. I could find a way to survive it and do things myself, without the need of anyone else. And now… Now it's like I don't have the strength to do anything alone. What's happened to the me I used to be? Can I really not do anything by myself anymore?"

"Era, just because you rely on someone, it doesn't mean you're not as strong as you once were," Yusei responded gently. "It just means you've grown accustomed to being stronger with someone around. The strong Era I first met has always been there. I still see her everyday."

"I… just don't think that's true, Yusei," I retorted. "I can't seem to do anything by myself anymore. An angel is supposed to be able to do anything by themselves, be able to get out of any situation by themselves. I can't do that. Not like I used to. Before, I could keep myself from going to the Shadow Realm when I lost to Marik when I shouldn't have been able to, just by using my powers. Before, I could get out of a demon cage on my own. I could do so many things by myself before I met you that I can't seem to do anymore." A tear fell down my face and I closed my eyes tight.

"Era, listen to me…" Yusei began.

"I can't keep relying on you, Yusei. If for some reason we separate and I get stuck in a situation, I can't wait and rely on a chance that you'll come and get me," I interrupted. "I need to learn to work on my own again."

"Era, what're you saying?" Yusei asked sternly.

I slowly activated a phase through and invisibility spell and flew off before Yusei could grab me again. I took a deep breath before activating a transport spell and finding my way to another place.

Yusei's POV

As soon as Era disappeared and I felt her arm leave my grasp, I immediately began to worry and tried to keep myself from panicking. I noticed a flash about fifty feet from me that quickly disappeared. I knew what that meant. I knew that spell. She went to another world and my locket wouldn't be able to track world to world issues.

"Era…" I muttered, trying to keep tears from falling.

"Ah, I see that your precious angel has finally left you," came a familiar voice that I was not in the mood to hear.

I flipped behind me to face demon king. "What do you want, Brehnam?" I asked angrily. "What have you done?"

"I haven't done much. It is simply one of the simple side effects of that little curse that was placed on the Guardian Angel," he answered.

"What does that mean? What side effect? To make her question herself?" I asked.

"It is a very special curse. One of its many side effects is that it makes the cursed angel question her relationship to her mate," Brehnam answered with a grin. "There is no specific way in which she will question her relationship, that is decided based on the angel and what they've been through."

"Brehnam…" I growled angrily. "What does is the final effect of the curse? What is its main purpose?"

"I would love to tell you. But I would love it so much more to make it a surprise," Brehnam replied frustrating me more. "Don't worry. I'll let Era stay free until the curse's effect takes place. After all, I want to see you suffer in shock and fear once it does. But we'll have to see if you can even find your mate first." He then disappeared.

"He's going pay one day," I muttered angrily. I took a deep breath. "I'll worry about him later, though. I need to find Era. And the best way for that is…" I brought out my locket and contacted Yue."

I was quick to get a response from her: " _ **I'll look for her on the Angel Maps right away and let you know what I found as soon as I can.**_ " I sent back a thank you. I noticed the sun rising and sighed. The others would not like hearing about what happened with Era. This wasn't good.


	58. The Planet of Malius

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 58: The Planet of Malius

Third Person POV

Yusei hadn't been able to focus at all while he waited for Yue's response as to where she was. He had an overwhelming worry for Era's state, both physical and mental. He had never thought Era would run away like she did. It wasn't something she would normally do.

"I need to find her," Yusei muttered closing his eyes in anguish and worry. "Era, where did you go?"

Era's POV

I sat in a forest by a small, but deep cove. The trees were similar to Earth and the water types mimicked her home planet. But the animals were different, but still the same as well.

The most kind were the Heitas. They were furry, long, and quite small. They had a face cat like face, only a small snout and small teeth. They were there with me, trying to comfort me with their presence.

The other ones trying to help were in the cove. They had skin along their body with four finned legs, a long neck, with a horse like face, small horns, and the elders were as large as a small house. They were called Kalis.

When I used my world transport spell, I had just let my subconscious mind decide where to go. In other words, I didn't know the exact world I was on at the moment. Tears dripped down my face as I thought about how weak I had become in my eyes. _'I couldn't even face Yusei anymore. I couldn't even stay and fight demons on my own world…'_ I thought distressed. _'I can't believe what I've turned into. I'm too reliant and too weak. I can't help anyone. Wha…? Since when do you think like that, Era?'_

"What's wrong with me?" I muttered to myself.

"Nothing at all," came a graceful voice. I looked up and saw a woman. She wore a white dress and had skin that was a bit pale, but not too much. Her eyes were completely white with cat like shaped pupils and she had white hair. I noticed some of the other creatures back up a bit and lower their heads, as if in respect.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Come with me, sweet angel," she responded. "I will explain soon." I slowly stood up and followed her.

Yusei's POV

Yue suddenly came and landed in my room where I sat silently, waiting for any news on Era. I looked at her and immediately asked, "Did you find her?" Yue nodded. "Where is she, Yue?"

"Malius," she answered.

"Malius is a death zone for angels," I responded worried. "The people there hunt them."

"I don't think Era knew exactly where she was going when she did the transport," Yue responded. I gave her a confused look. "Yusei, when it comes to world transportation spells, there is a reason why World Angels are stronger in that zone. World Angels are more able to separate the energy between their emotional mind and their reason mind and use that energy created from the separation to more easily and without much energy pick a world and transport it. Other angels, however, can't do that as well. Even Era. It takes more Spell Energy to use a transportation spell when reasonably thinking of a location than using emotion alone and not really thinking about when planet to transport to when you are going another world. If Era was able to transport so easily and doesn't seem to have used too much Spell Energy, she probably had no clue as to where she was going."

"Whatever the case, I need to get her out of there," I responded.

"You're still gaining the ability to use spells like transportation. At the moment, you're still too weak to use a world transportation spell," Yue told me. I looked down a bit, worry overcoming me again. "I can get you there." I looked at her shocked. "But, remember, Era won't be easy to talk to if she is in such a state that she would leave you of all angels like she did. I won't be able to be with you when you find her. If I'm there, she will probably see it like us trying to force her back together, and that will stop her from even listening to you." I nodded with a determined face. "Should we let your friends know you're going?"

"No," I answered. "They'll want to tag along and that's something I'm not going to allow to happen."

Yue nodded. "Maie tu no tsubosu jai ke ma bebe Malius!" she chanted and a portal opened. "Go, Yusei. When you need another back, let me know. I'll be here waiting for you." I nodded and stepped through the portal.

Era's POV

I followed the woman into a cave system that was filled with reflective gems. "Who are you again exactly?" I asked the woman as we entered a room that had a large seat that if you rolled up right could be a bed. She gestured for me to sit and I agreed by doing so.

"I am Hala. Guardian of these forests," she answered. I nodded slowly and she smiled. "You said that something is wrong with you, but that is not true."

"Why? I couldn't even face the one I love or stay and do a job I've been able to do alone before I met him," I asked. "I can't do anything myself. I don't even know who I am anymore. Not by name, but who I am in personality."

"You are changing, sweet angel," Hala responded. "This forest has seen a couple others in situations you're in now."

"Who?" I asked.

"One named Kai and another named Suzette," Hala answered.

"How am I changing exactly?" I asked. "Am I growing weaker because I'm becoming reliant on Yusei?"

"No, not at all. You are becoming stronger," Hala answered. "Your mind is fighting this curse on your arm. The curse wishes to do many harmful things to you. One of which is make you think you are weaker than you truly are. Make you blame those you care about without fully blaming them. For instance, you saying you are becoming weaker because you are becoming reliant on Yusei. But you are not truly growing reliant, are you?"

"I mean, I am. I couldn't even get out of the Underworld on my own. Before I met Yusei and began to look to him for support so much, I would've been able to escape no problem," I replied. "If I couldn't even defend myself against Brehnam or find a way to escape of my own…"

"Sweet angel, everyone has someone they rely on at some point in their life. Whether that is someone they love or just a friend," Hala responded kindly. "Even if their person of which they rely on doesn't last forever, they still rely on someone at some point. But this reliance on Yusei, it makes you stronger by working with him."

"But then I can't work well without him," I retorted. "How will that help me if we ever need to separate?"

"Sweet angel, you left on your own, did you not? You came here against his wishes, left him behind. And you are fine, aren't you?" Hala responded. I nodded looking down.

"But knowing Yusei, once he finds me, he won't let me go alone," I responded. "I can't go anywhere without him since Brehnam first started coming after me. He gets too protective and I can't do anything myself. I guess it's what has been making me so reliant. I always think he'll be there to help me if I get into trouble."

"But is that not part of what a person does for their significant other? Are they not supposed to be there for whom they care for?" Hala responded.

"They are, just not as much as he does with me," I responded.

Hala laughed slightly. "Sometimes it is good to have some help," she stated. "Even if you don't wish it at the time."

"How do you know about all this? And what happened to the others? There aren't any records of their deaths, just their disappearance," I asked.

"You don't know what planet you're on, do you, sweet angel?" Hala asked.

I felt something grab my arms and pulled me into the seat all the way in while it grew deeper. I saw vines attached to my arms and a couple more vines grabbed my ankles and pulled them into the seat so I was completely in it.

"Where am I?" I asked as I pulled at my bands. I tried to use my phase through spell, but nothing happened.

"You are on the planet Malius, Guardian Angel of Light," Hala answered shocking me. "The tales of this planet are true. Any angel that comes here is taken and killed. But I am the only hunter here. I wait for my prey to come here like you and then I take them."

Grey veins popped out of her face before she morphed into a white, end of bee like shaped area of which four spider like legs attached. Her torso kept a human appearance, but her arms became longer with sharp, lobster like claws. Her head turned a bit larger with a thinly skin mouth, letting the jaw line and bones obvious to seen with sharp teeth. Her eyes stayed the same, but she grew grey marks along her face.

 **(A/N: I will admit this now. I got this from vague memories of when I watched Teen Titans as a kid. So I will give credit to the creators of that series, not the newer version known as** _ **Teen Titans Go!**_ **that sucks ass with its stupidity. But I will give credit of this part/situation to the original Teen Titans creators. Please don't be too harsh with its similarity. I'm sorry if you don't like it. Just, don't be too harsh. Please…)**

I began to pull at her strings again. "Let me out of here!" I ordered.

"You should know exactly what happened to the others who found their way here," Hala responded. "Though I'm sure you have a guess, don't you?"

"You killed them, that much I know," I replied.

She laughed. "And then I ate them," she added worrying me. "But I had to make sure they were nice and hot first." A rock wall began to cover me from above while I tried to break my bonds. "I have heard that the Guardian Angel of Light is most delicious. You'll make a fine meal for me and my children."

"Children?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered. "My offspring which I will give birth to very soon. Don't worry, we will savor your taste."

"Don't think you'll be able to get away with this," I responded. "I'm going to get out of here."

"Those vines block an angel's power. You won't be breaking free anytime soon. You'll be cooked to perfection soon enough," Hala retorted before the rock cover completely closed over me.


	59. The Fight Against the Hunter

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 59: The Fight Against the Hunter

Yusei's POV

I was quick to find myself in a dense forest. The brush was so thick and since it had gotten close to nightfall that I was having trouble seeing quite far. I immediately brought a ball of light to my hand to allow me to see.

I felt something brush against my foot and turned to see a furry thing hurrying off. _'That thing was scared of something,'_ I thought.

I brought out my locket and used it to trace for Era. But the mark was so faint with it, I was having trouble making it out. The only time a trail with a locket was ever faint according to Era was when the certain angel was passed out or dying. Either way, it didn't give me good feelings. Fortunately, though, I could still see the trail and followed it. I kept myself at a fast pace since her trail was so faint.

"Don't worry, my sweet angel, you'll be eaten with joy," came a voice from a cave that the trail was pointing towards. I carefully and silently walked through the tunnels until I reached a cave system. I stopped at an opening towards a larger cave and looked around the corner to see a creature with a body I would've never thought I would see before stepping around a steaming rock with a depraved and eager smile. "You will certainly be at the peak of flavor. Me and my offspring will enjoy every bit of you."

I looked at the trail and noticed it led straight to the rock where it stopped. _'Era's in there. And if that rock is steaming…'_ I thought getting worried.

The creature then began to sniff a bit. "Oh… I smell a new angel here," she stated and turned towards where I stood. I was quick to turn invisible. "You cannot hide, angel. I can smell you. Your scent was all over my delicacy over cooking in the rock." I glared angrily when it referred to Era like it did. "Why don't you show yourself? Let me see the face of this one's pain."

' _What does that mean?'_ I thought as I watched the creature walk closer to my location. Suddenly, it disappeared. _'What the…? How did…?'_ My thought was cut off as one of the creatures claws locked me to the wall by my neck. Knowing I couldn't hide anymore, I let my invisibility spell down.

"Ah, you are truly handsome," the creature stated. "It's no wonder why the Guardian Angel fell for you."

"You're going to let her go," I ordered, but winced a bit as the claws dug into my neck.

"Do you really believe you can stop me from devouring my food?" the creature asked. "Me and my offspring need to eat."

I grabbed the two sides of the claw holding me and began to try to pull them apart. "Yeah? Well, Era and I have our own child that needs us to live," I retorted. "And I'm not about to allow you to take both from me."

It tightened its grip of my neck. "You truly love her, don't you?" the creature asked before laughing. "How sweet. Too bad she won't last much longer. The heat of the rock will make sure she is nice and cooked very soon."

I let go with one hand and launched a ball of light at the creature's chest. It was sent flying back into a wall, being forced to let go of me in the process. I ran in and to the rock. I shot a blast at it, but I had to quickly dodge the blast and it was reflected back off the rock.

The creature laughed. "Unfortunately for you, those rocks reflect light. And all angel spells are made up of light. So I'm afraid those spells of yours aren't going to break those rocks and let you free your precious Guardian Angel," it told me.

It suddenly through a large crystal at me and I dodged it, while manipulating it enough for the flat side to hit Era's burning prison. I looked at noticed a large amount of cracks had formed around the stone.

"I'm going to get you out, Era. Just stay with me," I called to her. I thought I heard her whisper my name, but it was so silent that I couldn't tell for certain.

"Too bad you'll be my first meal," the creature stated, running up with its claw ready to stab me. I jumped out of the way and into the air, while she rammed into Era's cocoon of stone with her side, making the cracks larger and the stone weaker.

"No other angel will be your meal," I told her. I sent a powerful ball of light at the creature and it was sent through the walls of the cave and into the forest. I heard her scream in fear before silence. I wasn't sure what happened to her and at the moment, I didn't care. With me in the air, I dropped on the heart of the cracks and the wall encapsulating my mate shattered to pieces.

I noticed Era passed out and vines holding her in place. I sliced the vines off without a problem and carefully brought her out. She felt so hot in my arms; It worried me to end.

"Era…" I called. "Era, please, wake up." She didn't budge. I reached my ear down and listened for her heartbeat and thankfully found it. I used a healing spell to help with the burns she did have and a pain release spell to help with any pain she might've had. I then gently held her face that seemed to be at peace. "Era, wake up. Please…"

I watched as her eyes fluttered open. They seemed distant and unfocused at first, but slowly they regained their clarity and seriousness that I remembered. "Y-Yusei…" I whispered.

I immediately pulled her into me and held her head to my shoulder while I closed my eyes tight as I tucked my head into her shoulder. I felt my own tears land on her shoulder, both of joy that I found her and of fear that she would try to leave again. "Era, don't do this again," I whispered. "Please."

"Yusei, I…" she began but stopped.

"I know you want to do things yourself because you don't want to just rely on me. But I need you, Era. I need you with me. I rely on you to be here with me. I can't stand the thought of losing you, of not being with you. When you left like that, you have no idea what I felt," I told her. "And when I finally found you locked in that stone, getting ready to be eaten by that creature… those feelings just grew worse. I was terrified I lost you, Era. That I would never be able to get you back. You are stronger than you let yourself believe. You may rely on me to some extent, but not as much as you think. The only times you ever rely on me to help is if you are in situations like with Brehnam and the Underworld. Other than that, you are stronger than anyone I've ever known. You are the Era I fell in love within those first couple weeks of knowing you. You have never changed from that Era."

"Yusei…" Era muttered. I felt a couple tears fall onto my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Era," I responded. "I should've realized what you were feeling sooner. Then I could've kept this from happening. Besides, I wasn't able to get to you sooner. I couldn't protect you as well as I should've."

"Yusei, that's…" she stopped.

"Just… never doing this again, Era. Don't leave me, especially like you did," I told her. "I just…" But I was cut off as I felt her lips on mine. I immediately gave into the kiss. For the first time, I was the one who needed comforting and it was Era kissing me to do so. I wanted to stay in that position for so long, but Era eventually pulled back.

"I love you, too, Yusei," she responded. "I'll stay with you, or at least try to. I promise."

"Let's get back," I told her and sent a message to Yue. I stood up and helped Era up. She winced. "Are you alright?"

"My ankle just hurts a bit, that's all," she answered, leaning on her other leg.

I looked at noticed it was a bit off place. "It's dislocated," I commented. She looked at it shocked. I picked her up into my arms. "I'll fix it the best I can once we're back at my room."

"Alright," she agreed.

I walked through the portal and back into my room where Yue was standing. "She alright?" she asked seeing Era in my arms.

"Dislocated ankle," I answered. "And needs to rest after what happened back there."

"What happened exactly?" Yue asked.

I explained everything that I had seen once I found her and she seemed shocked. "But that hunter thing is gone now," I finished. "She won't be doing much more harm to any other angels." Yue nodded.

I set Era on my bed, careful with her ankle. I used an anesthetic spell and quickly popped it back into place. "I can't do much more than that. I wouldn't be using this leg for until the World Racing Grand Prix starts again, Era," I told her.

"I'll be fine," she reassured.

"Era, angel or not, it was still a dislocated ankle," Yue retorted. "And considering we don't have any spare Healer Angels at the moment, I wouldn't be counting on getting one to get that ankle healed for a bit. By the time we do have a Healer Angel that could, you're ankle will be healed. Unless you go walking on it a lot which will only make it worse." I sighed but nodded. "Well, I need to get back to Council. Era, don't ever try doing that again. Or Crimson Dragon so help me…"

"I won't try, Yue," she responded. "I promise." The World Angel rolled her eyes before flying off and disappearing.

I looked at the sky out the window and saw it was coming to nightfall. "Get some rest, Era," I told her. "You'll need it to help the ankle and your body heal faster." She nodded before turning to fall asleep. It didn't take long before she was asleep. "See you in the morning."


	60. The Team of Aesir

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 60: The Team of Aesir

Third Person POV

It had been a week since the incident at Malius. Era's leg was fully healed as expected and Yusei was able to make sure Era remembered she was as strong as she was supposed to be.

Now, it was the evening before the finals of the World Racing Grand Prix. At the present moment, Yusei, Era, Crow, and Jack had stopped at the overlook to talk about the coming events.

"So our next opponent is Team Ragnarok," Jack commented.

"They are said to be tough. Have three Nordic God cards and people say they have the Rune Eyes," Yusei commented.

"Doesn't that mean they're successors of some Aesir group?" Crow asked.

"Yep," Era replied. "They're tough opponents. Especially with their god cards. Not at tough as the legendary Egyptian God cards but tough nonetheless."

"Sounds like you think we'll be easy to beat," came a voice from behind. Dragan as Era knew him. She had seen him once during his time of when his father was hospitalized. She never formally met him, but she knew him.

They turned around and saw the three members of Team Ragnarok standing there. "Seems we finally meet somewhere other than a battlefield," Halldor stated.

"Seems so," Era responded.

"I say we should at least tell you about the Aesirs," Broder stated.

"Hmm, perhaps," Halldor agreed and immediately began to explain the tale of how the Aesirs came to be and how the members of Team Ragnarok came to obtaining the Aesirs. When the story was finished, Yusei was tense but Era was perfectly calm unmoved by their words which might shake another duelist. "You are right about one thing, Era. We are tough opponents. Tough enough where we will defeat you."

"Do you really think you can stop Team New World?" Jack asked.

"Instead of going against Team New World apart, perhaps we should try to expose the plot of Team New World and help one another in that quest," Era told them.

"No," Halldor declared. "The Aesir are not willing to enter an alliance with the Crimson Dragon's Signers. Well, some of them anyway. I am still unsure how Era fits into your Signer life."

"I'm connected to the Crimson Dragon in certain ways like the Signers, just different from the rest," Era commented.

Halldor's left eye began to glow and formed a rune in the center. "I see. You house the very power and heart of the Crimson Dragon within you. How you are able to contain such power eludes me. But, I am shocked one such as yourself would spend time with one who is in the bloodline of someone who caused pain and destruction," he said.

Yusei tensed. "Zero Reverse was an accident," he told Halldor.

"Well, sort of. Roman Goodwin was convinced to by Yliaster and caused it himself. Professor Fudo wanted to stop the project before Zero Reverse occurred," Era told the leader of the Ragnarok team. "Halldor, believe me, it wasn't Professor Fudo's fault that Zero Reverse occurred. And it wasn't Yusei's either. I would know better than any of you."

"Is that so?" Halldor scoffed. "It was Professor Fudo's research that caused that explosion. Was it not?"

Era sighed. "Halldor, Yusei was only a baby when Zero Reverse occurred," she defended. "And Professor Fudo was a good man who saw the coming and Zero Reverse and tried to stop it. He literally got shot while doing so. It was New Domino and Roman Goodwin who wouldn't let the project stop and then Roman purposely set the rotation of the Ener-D in reverse trying to play god."

Yusei looked at her with a small hidden smile. He was shocked and happy she was so keen on the facts that defended him and his father. He knew Era would know them better than anyone.

"Era's right. It isn't Yusei's father's fault and it isn't Yusei's either," Crow agreed.

"Even though it was his father's research, it wasn't his father who caused Zero Reverse," Era told them.

"You truly believe that?" Halldor asked.

"I know it," Era replied. "I was there the day of the explosion. I remember every minute of it. Along with Professor Fudo, I tried to stop the explosion."

"How would you do that? You would have to be a baby back then," Broder responded.

"This may answer your question," Era responded before transforming into her angel form. They immediately looked shocked. "I am an angel. I died just over a hundred years ago in a car crash. I came back to Earth as an angel to defend the world from demons. And you want to know the reason why Yusei won't bring any destruction to this world, Halldor?" He looked at her intrigued. "He's an angel." They looked at him shocked. Yusei followed his mate's lead and transformed into his angel form shocking them. "He took the position as angel when he destroyed the King of the Underworld nearly nine months ago. Since then, he has been fighting with me to destroy the angel's mortal enemy: demons. We will live until a demon kills us and we will defend this planet until we die. An angel is chosen based on the light in their heart and how much good they have done as a human. And Yusei was one of the rare few with so much light in their heart and had done so much good in his life. And now that you know what he has become, do you truly believe he will cause this world's destruction?"

Halldor smirked. "To think there was a possibility like that in a person with a history related to an incident like Zero Reverse…" he muttered.

"Yusei has no connection to that day," Jack stated. "You can't act like he does."

"I'm shocked, Atlas. You seem like you've changed quite a bit since the last time we dueled," Dragan stated.

"You fought him before Jack?" Crow asked.

"Once," Jack replied, "and beat him too."

"Don't you remember that duel better, Jack?" Dragan asked.

"I do," Jack answered.

 **~Flashback~**

Jack drew his card as he took the first draw. "I summon Top Runner (Attack 1100/ Defense 800) in attack mode and set two face downs," he declared.

Dragan drew his card. "I summon Garmr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1900) in attack mode and finish my turn with a face down," he proclaimed.

"I summon Power Breaker (Attack 1900/ Defense 0) in attack position. Now I turn Power Breaker with Top runner to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2500)! Now attack his Garmr!" Jack ordered his dragon. Red Dragon Archfiend attacked and destroyed Garmr.

The duel ran forward but eventually, Dragan lost the duel.

 **~Flashback Ended~**

"Did you know I was forced to lose on purpose by Lazar and Former Director Rex Goodwin in order to raise money for my father's hospitalization?" Dragan asked. Jack tensed.

"We will see you in the semifinal match soon enough, Team 5D's. The winner of this will receive the right to face Team New World," Halldor called. "Remember, the next time we meet may not be as pleasant." They left with that.

"Talk about a confident bunch," Crow muttered.

"They have a right to be so. They're Nordic Gods are strong and line up just after Exodia," Era explained.

"Wait, Exodia the Forbidden One?" Crow asked. "As in one of the most powerful cards in Yugi Muto's time?"

"Yep. But just like Exodia, they have weak points. You just have to search for it," Era said. "We better get some rest for your duel tomorrow."

"Right, and we have to win," Yusei agreed.

They all nodded and left on their duel runners. As they drove, Era suggested to Yusei, "Yusei, why don't you skip scouting for tonight? So you can be fully rested."

"And let you scout alone?" he retorted and she looked away. "No, Era. If your scouting so am I. And if you stay in, I stay in. It's that simple."

"But you need more rest than I do for the duel tomorrow," Era argued. "And someone has to keep an eye out for demons."

"Era, don't argue with me about this," Yusei fought. "It's either we both stay in or we both go scouting. What's your choice?"

She groaned a bit in frustration. "I'll stay in with you," she decided. "But if I sense a demon tonight, I'm heading out to fight it."

"Not without me," Yusei retorted. "Era, do we need to go over this again?"

She sighed. "No."

"Then, I'm sticking by your side," he stated as they arrived at the garage. "Alright?"

"Alright," she agreed and they went in for the night.


	61. The Burning Soul

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 61: The Burning Soul

Era's POV

"Duel fans of all ages, welcome to the semifinals where Team 5Ds is going up against the formidable Team Ragnarok! This will all boil down to what will be an incredible duel!" the MC called. Jack looked at Dragan who returned the gesture as they got ready to duel. The light flashed green and Jack and Dragan shot off like a bullet racing for the first turn. "And they're off!"

' _Be careful, Jack,'_ I thought.

Jack was successful in taking the first turn and drew his card. "I summon Top Runner (Attack 1100/ Defense 800) in attack mode and set two cards face down to end my turn," Jack declared.

"Then it's my turn," Dragan stated drawing his card from his deck. "I summon Garmr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1900) in attack mode and set a face down. That's all for now."

Jack drew his card. "If we're reliving that old duel then this might add it up. "I summon Power Breaker (Attack 1900/ Defense 0) in attack mode. Now I tune Power Breaker with Top Runner to synchro summon a beast of great power. Come forth, Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000)!" Jack declared. "Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Garmr!"

"This will be different because I activate my face down known as Nordic Relic Brisingamen! This increases the attack of Garmr to equal the attack of Red Dragon Archfiend until the end phase (Garmr of the Nordic Beasts: Attack 3000)," Dragan returned. "Oh, and if Garmr destroys a monster by battle this turn, the attack of the destroyed monster will be inflicted to you as damage."

"Well I activate my face down, Reaction Summon to special summon Top Runner from my graveyard. And due to the effect of Top Runner, the attack of my face up synchro monsters increase by 600 (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 3600)," Jack retorted. Red Dragon Archfiend destroyed Garmr in the one attack dropping Dragan's life points to 3400.

"Since a monster I destroyed was destroyed by battle, I can special summon Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 800/ Defense 1100) from my hand in defense position," Dragan returned.

Though Top Runner went to attack Tanngnjostr, it failed due to the attack and defense of both monsters being equivalent. Jack only attacked to prevent Top Runner from being destroyed by the effect of his demonic looking dragon which I knew as I watched from the sidelines.

"I set a face down to end my turn," Jack responded.

Dragan drew his card. "I switch my Tanngnjostr into attack position. Because it switched battle position, I can activate its effect allowing me to special summon Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 1200/ Defense 800) from my deck in attack mode. And since you control a synchro monster, I can special summon Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts (Attack 1600/ Defense 1000) from my hand," he declared. "Now I tune my Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir with Guldfaxe to synchro summon Thor: Lord of the Aesir (Attack 3500/ Defense 2800)! Now I activate the effect of Thor which negates the effects of your Top Runner until the end phase and have Thor gain Top Runner's effect for this turn only (Red Dragon Archfiend: Attack 3000; Thor: Lord of the Aesir: Attack 4100). And now I think I'll have Thor attack that dragon!" Red Dragon Archfiend was destroyed and Jack's life points plummeted to 2900. "I set two face downs and end my turn." Since Dragan had ended his turn, Thor's attack points returned to its normal 3500.

Jack drew his card. "I summon Barrier Resonator (Attack 300/ Defense 800) in defense mode. Next I switch Top Runner to defense and end my turn with a face down," Jack declared.

"My draw!" Dragan exclaimed drawing his card. "I activate Thor's effect negating Top Runner's effect for you and allowing me to use it until the end phase (Thor: Lord of the Aesir: Attack 4100). Now I activate Nordic Relic Mjollnir allowing Thor to attack twice this turn and allowing Thor to inflict 1000 points of direct damage to you should he destroy a monster in battle. Now Thor, attack that Barrier Resonator!" Thor did as he was told and Barrier Resonator was destroyed resulting Jack life points dropping to 1900. Thor then attacked and destroyed Top Runner with Mjollnir activating and dropping Jack to a mere 900 life points.

"I activate Tuner's Reflect. This resummons both Barrier Resonator and Top Runner from my graveyard and inflicts battle damage straight to you equaling the combined attack points of the two monsters," Jack retorted and Dragan's life points dropped to 2000.

"I end my turn with one face down," Dragan declared and Thor's attack returned to his original 3500 again.

"I don't like this," Crow stated in the stands.

It was Jack's turn. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing four speed counters, I can inflict 800 points of damage for every speed spell in my hand," Jack declared. He showed his Speed Spell- End of the Storm making Dragan's life points drop to 1200. "Next I activate Descending Lost Star allowing me to summon Red Dragon Archfiend from the graveyard in defense mode with its effects negated, its defense reduced to 0 and its level reduce by 1 (Red Dragon Archfiend: Defense 0/ Level 7). Now I double tune Red Dragon Archfiend with Top Runner and Barrier Resonator to synchro summon a monster of extraordinary power," he declared.

"Double tuning?!" all three members of Team Ragnarok exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's right. And with the power of this double tune, I will synchro summon my ultimate beast. Meet Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000)!" Jack declared.

In the pit, Yusei and the others looked at the dragon shocked and amazed though I remained stoic and unmoved by the magnificent beast. I had heard of this dragon once and I had a feeling it was Jack who was going to get it and use it eventually.

"Era, did you know he had this dragon?" Crow asked noticing my expression.

"How could I not? I've heard all about it in the Afterlife. He had received it even before Yusei came to get me from Malius," I replied. "We learned that the Red Nova Dragon would only appear when its true owner called upon it. And Jack was its true owner."

"Crow, remember, she's been on this world longer than any of us," Yusei reminded him. "She would know cards and legends of cards better than any of us.

"True," Crow agreed and we turned back to the duel.

"Due to the effect of Red Nova, it gains 500 attack points for every tuner monster in my graveyard (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 4500)," Jack informed Dragan. "Now Red Nova attack Thor: Lord of the Aesir!"

' _That won't be enough, Jack,'_ I thought.

"I activate Raging Sacred Curse!" Dragan responded. "This reduces Red Nova Dragon's attack and Defense by 2000 (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 2500/ Defense 1000). Next I activate Solemn Authority which prevents Thor from being affected by your trap cards for two turns."

"I activate Burning Rebirth!" Jack retorted. "By tributing Red Nova Dragon, I can special summon Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000) from my graveyard." Red Nova vanished leaving Red Dragon Archfiend in its place with Red Dragon Archfiend equipped with Burning Rebirth. "Now I activate the second effect of Burning Rebirth. By sending it and my Trap Eater from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000) from my graveyard." Since Burning Rebirth was removed from the field, Red Dragon Archfiend was also destroyed. "Now since there are three tuner monsters in my grave, Red Nova gains 1500 attack points (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 5000). Now Red Nova Dragon, attack Thor: Lord of the Aesir!" The attack pulled through and destroyed Thor and knocking Dragan's life points to 0 making Jack the winner.

"Before I'm down for the count, Thor's ability activates reviving him at a full 3500 attack points and dealing 800 points of direct damage at you," Dragan finished.

As Jack's life points dropped to 100 points, Dragan passed the baton to Broder went after Jack with Thor still in tow.

Broder drew his card. "I set two face downs and activate Thor's effect which negates Red Nova Dragon's effect and grants Thor his effects until the end phase (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 3500)," he declared. "Now Thor, attack Red Nova Dragon!" As the attack hit, both monsters were destroyed due to the equaling attack points. Broder ended his turn reviving Thor and knocking Jack's life points to 0 with its effect making Broder the winner.

Jack came over and Crow took off. _"Crow, be smart with every move. This will not be an easy duel,"_ I told him mentally.

" _Don't worry about me, Era. I'll win,"_ he assured.

" _You'd better,"_ I responded. I then added mentally, _'I hope you do, at least.'_


	62. The Battle of the Tricksters

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

 **Okay, I had this down before, but I changed it dramatically by adding the rest of the duel since the next chapter would be insanely short. So this is the improved chapter of it. Enjoy!**

Chapter 62: The Battle of the Tricksters

Third Person POV

As Crow caught up to Broder, Bruno stated, "There are still two more of these god cards."

"Knowing Crow, he won't allow the second one to be summoned," Yusei responded. He looked at Era and noticed her tensed. He whispered to her in Angelic, _"Something wrong, Era?"_

" _I just feel like this won't be as easy as you think for Crow. Broder is also known as the Trick Star, after all. And if the attacks and damage was real…"_ she trailed off.

" _We just have to hope Crow won't be hurt too bad. Crow will find a way, though,"_ Yusei assured. She slowly nodded in acceptance.

"I'll beat you in a second, Crow," Broder told the man.

"Don't underestimate me," Crow responded. He drew his card calling, "I'll bring out the power of my Blackwings." And the duel began. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can summon Blackwing- Sirocco the Dawn (Attack 2000/ Defense 900) in attack position with tribute. And now since I control a Blackwing monster, I can special summon Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind (Attack 1300/ Defense 400) in attack mode. I then activate Gale's effect to halve the attack and defense of Thor (Thor, Lord of the Aesir: Attack 1750/ Defense 1400) until the end phase. And now since the total levels of the Blackwing monster I control are at least eight, I can special summon Blackwing- Calima the Haze (Attack 600/ Defense 1800) from his hand in attack position with its effect. Now I tune Blackwing- Calima the Haze with Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind in order to synchro summon. Rise, Blackwing Armor Master (Attack 2500/ Defense 1500)! Blackwing Armor Master, attack Thor!" The attack destroyed Broder's monster and his life points fell to 3250. Sirocca, attack Broder directly!" The man's fell to 1250.

"I activate my face down, The Golden Apples! This increases my life points by the battle I took this turn and summon a Malus Token which attack and defense equals that amount (Attack 2750/ Defense 2750)," Broder defended.

"I set two cards face down and my end turn," Crow finished. And due to it being the end phase, Thor's effect, it was revived and inflicted 800 to Crow. The bird named man life points fell to 3200 and he cried out in pain.

Era couldn't stand seeing her friends in pain that much and subtly blowed some air. A gentle breeze passed through and Crow and her team felt stronger and the two injured felt their pain lighten.

Yusei looked at her. _"What spell was that?"_ he asked her.

" _It's a healing spell that can be used at a distance. But it needs a good amount of Spell Energy to use. You aren't strong enough to use it, yet. That's why I haven't taught you it,"_ Era explained. He nodded in acceptance and the two returned to the duel as Broder drew his card and Solemn Authority was destroyed due to its last effect.

"I activate the effect of Thor. This negates the effects of Blackwing Armor Master and granting those effects to Thor until the end phase. Malus Token, attack Blackwing- Sirocco the Dawn!" Broder ordered and the attack destroyed Crow's monster while dropping his life points to 2450. "Thor, attack Blackwing Armor Master!" Crow's last monster was destroyed and his life points fell to 1450.

"Since two Blackwing monsters were destroyed the same turn, I can special summon Blackwing- Brisote the Tailwind (Attack 1200/ Defense 1800) in attack position," the bird named man played. "I activate my face down, Black Return! This increases my life points by the attack of Thor, Lord of the Aesir and return it to your extra deck."

"I activate Nordic Relic Laevateinn! This destroys Thor due to it destroying a monster in a battle this turn," Broder fought. "And since your Black Return's target was removed, its effect of Black Return is negated." He smirked. "I set a face down and end my turn. And since it's the end phase, you know what that means, don't you?" Thor rose again and inflicted another 800 points of damage to Crow, dropping his life points to 650, while the wind continued to blow keeping the pain minimal.

"I can't believe the attacks are real," Jack stated.

' _I'm well below the safety line,'_ Crow thought in worry. _'If Broder has a speed spell in his hand next turn, I lose.'_ As they complete the lap, he passes the kids and they cheer for him.

Broder stated, "I had kids that I myself protect. They can't count on Team 5D's to protect the children and defeat Yliaster." That caught Crow's attentioned. "I used to be a treasure hunter, to be honest. But that changed when I met a bunch of kids who were lone survivors of a war. I wouldn't leave the island as there were no other adults to really take care of the kids. Eventually, parents came to adopt them, but I'd heard rumors of the organization that triggered the war. That's not something I can just brush off."

' _This far-reaching organization is Yliaster!'_ Crow realized. _"That's the mission Broder is determined to follow no matter what: defeating Yliaster. I can't give up here.'_ He drew his card. "I summon Blackwing- Blizzard the Far North (Attack 1300/ Defense 0) in defense mode and activate its effect. This revives Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind (Attack 1300/ Defense 400) in defense mode. Then I activate my face down Blackboost to draw two cards since I control at least two Blackwing monsters. After that, I activate the Speed Spell- Speed Force! This prevents you from destroying my cards through spells and traps until my next standby phase. Next I activate the effect of Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind to halve Thor's attack and defense (Thor, Lord of the Aesir: Attack 1750/ Defense 1400). Now I tune Blackwing- Brisote the Tailwind with Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind to synchro summon. Rise up, Black-Winged Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 1600)! And now since Brisote was sent to the graveyard as a synchro material, its effect activates, increasing my life points by 600." Crow's life points jumped to 1250. "Black-Winged Dragon, attack Thor!" The attack succeeded and Broder's life points fell to 2950. "I set a face down and end my turn."

"Well, that means Thor's back and inflicts another 800 points of damage at you," Broder responded.

"Not quite, Broder," Crow retorted shocking him. "See, my dragon's got an effect. By placing a Blackwing Counter on it and decrease its attack and defense points (Black-Winged Dragon: Attack 2100/ Defense 1600), I can avoid damage."

Though he was frustrated, Broder stayed calm and continued the duel, "I summon Ljosalf of the Nordic Alfar (Attack 1400/ Defense 1200) in attack position and activate its effect to special summon Svartalf of the Nordic Alfar (Attack 1400/ Defense 1600) in attack position. Now I tune Malus Token with Ljosalf with Svartalf to synchro summon. Rise, Loki, Lord of the Aesir (Attack 3300/ Defense 3000)!"

' _Oh no,'_ Era thought worried.

"Loki, attack Black-Winged Dragon!" Broder ordered.

"I activate Black Sonic! This removes from play all of your attack position monsters," Crow defended.

"I activate Loki's effect! It negates the effect of Black Sonic and destroys it," Broder fought. Loki continued the attack against Black-Winged Dragon and destroyed it while dropping Crow's life point to a mere 50. "Thor, attack Blizzard the Far North!" The attack succeeded and destroyed Crow's monster.

"How is Crow going to survive at this rate?" Leo asked. They all looked at Era for her ideas being the eldest there.

"He'll find a way," she told them. "I known him since he was a younger than memory. Even if it seems futile, he'll find a way to keep things as easy as possible for this team. I can't see the future like World Angels. But Crow will do all he can to ensure that this teams wins. And that's all we have to rely on. And all we can do is hope that he comes out on top." They nodded and turned back to the duel.

Crow drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing seven speed counters, I can draw one card. I then set two face downs and end my turn," he played.

Broder drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2 as well! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy one of your set cards!" he declared and the card destroyed was Black Wing. "Loki, attack Crow directly!"

"I activate my other face down Black Wing! This negates the attack by removing from play one Blackwing from my graveyard," Crow defended.

"I activate the effect of Loki! This negates the effect of Black Wing and destroys it," Broder fought.

"I remove Blackwing- Calima the Haze from my graveyard to revive Black-Winged Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 1600)!" Crow declared and his dragon returned to his side.

"Well, Loki, attack that dragon!" Broder ordered.

"I activate the second effect of Black Wing! By removing the two Black Wings in my graveyard, I can destroy both Black-Winged Dragon and Loki and inflict the attack of Loki as damage to you," Crow fought.

Broder's life points fell to 0 but Broder then called, "I activate my face down Dromi the Sacred Shackles! This inflicts damage at you equal to the difference between Black-Winged Dragon and Loki." The assault hit and the duel ended in a draw. But due to it being Broder's end phase, Loki returned to the field.

Broder and Crow passed the batons to Halldor and Yusei and both duelists sped forward to duel against each other.

'Yusei, don't let anything he says get to you,' Era thought.


	63. The Light of Their Hearts- Part 1

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 63: The Light of Their Hearts- Part 1

Third Person POV

Yusei drew his card "I summon Cosmic Compass (Attack 100/ Defense 300) in defense mode," he declared. "Now since I normal summoned it, I can activate its effect allowing me to summon a Compass Token for each of your monsters that you control. And since you control two, I can summon two Compass Tokens in defense mode (Attack 0/ Defense 0 for each token). Finally I set two face downs." Halldor drew his card and Yusei was quick to activate one of his face downs, "I activate Monster Chain! This places a counter of Monster Chain for each monster I control which it three so Monster Chain gains 3 counters. While Monster Chain is face up, neither player can declare an attack but during your end phase, Halldor, I must remove a Chain Counter and when it has no Chain Counters, Monster Chain is destroyed." This put the gods in a chain not allowing it to attack.

"I summon Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant (Attack 400/ Defense 800) in attack position," he began. "Next I activate its effect! By sending Interdimensional Matter Transporter and Baton of the Hero from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon two Einherjar Tokens (Attack 1000/ Defense 1000 for both) in defense mode. Now I tune my two tokens with Valkyrie in order to synchro summon. I call forth, Odin, Father of the Aesir (Attack 4000/ Defense 3500)!" he declared and his monster rose up. "I activate Odin's effect making all divine- beast type monsters unaffected by spells and traps for one turn meaning it is not affected by Monster Chain for now. Now, Loki, Thor, attack his Compass Tokens!" The two monster tokens were destroyed with ease. "And finally Odin, attack his Cosmic Compass!" Yusei final monster shattered to pieces, leaving him defenseless of monsters. "Finally I set a face down and end my turn. Now do you see Yusei, you won't be able to defeat me. Now, perhaps it is time I tell you how I ended up gaining the right to wield Odin." Yusei didn't respond, allowing Halldor to explain his travels around the world and strengthening himself to gain the right to wield Odin. "Which is why you will not win. You see, you're the very last obstacle in my way to saving the world. But you won't be standing in my way for long, the gods will see to that. Which is why I offer you a chance to leave this with at least some of your dignity intact. I offer you the chance to surrender. Otherwise you will feel the full force of my three chilling powerhouses!"

"Is that so? You know, I think it's time I told you a little tale of my own, Halldor. You see, you're not the only one who's come all the way to the Grand Prix to fight for something," Yusei retorted.

"What do you mean, Yusei?" Halldor asked.

"You know what I mean," Yusei replied and Era knew he was thinking about how Halldor accused Yusei of being able to cause the same damage Yusei's father's research did. "My heart didn't want to believe what you said could be true, but then I remembered a dream about my father. In it he warned me of a great danger." The sounded of an echo reached both their ears and they looked up. "I know what that is now. It's the Divine Temple and my father's shadow."

"Your father's shadow?" Halldor repeated.

"You see, I was born on the same day that this city nearly perished," Yusei informed. "Was it coincidence? Or was it something much more? Something to do with the Fudo family? Even though Zero Reverse was not my father's fault, he was a part of it. So maybe there something about my bloodline that brings doom and despair and if that turns out to be the case, then I'll do what I must to stop it. Just as I'll stop Team New World. You see I've realized something important. Nothing will ever change what happened here in New Domino City, the only thing I can control is what happens next! So that's just what I plan to do."

"I see," Halldor responded.

"So to answer your question, no, Halldor, there's no way I'll ever surrender!" Yusei answered.

Yusei's mark glowed followed by the others.

. . .

In the booth, all but Era's marks vanished. "It's coming," Akiza stated.

. . .

All the marks combined onto Yusei giving him the Mark of the Crimson Dragon.

"What in the world?" Halldor responded to his mark. "That's the Mark of the Crimson Dragon!"

"Yes, because he's the only one strong enough to take on your Nordic God. Now then, it's my turn!" Yusei responded and drew his card. "I play the Speed Spell- Angel Baton! Since I have at least two speed counters, I can draw two additional cards from my deck by sending one card in my hand to the graveyard. Next I summon forth, Debris Dragon (Attack 1000/ Defense 2000)!"

"It's a tuner monster. He's planning a synchro," Halldor realized.

"And when Debris Dragon is summoned, I get summon a monster with five hundred or less attack points straight from my graveyard. And the monster I choose is Cosmic Compass," Yusei responded. "And now since a tuner monster is on my field, I can summon from my graveyard, Quillbolt Hedgehog (Attack 800/ Defense 800)! Next up, since a monster was summoned from my graveyard, I can summon this monster from my hand: Dopplewarrior (Attack 800/ Defense 800)! But I'm not through yet. Dopplewarrior, tune with Quillbolt Hedgehog and Debris Dragon! Now out of three will come on, and out of one will come great cosmic might. I synchro summon, the synchro monster Stardust Dragon!"

"Your ultimate beast, but it doesn't matter. Stardust Dragon is still no match for my Nordic Gods," Halldor stated.

"I activate Dopplewarrior's ability. When it's used in a synchro summon, I'm allowed to bring out one Dopple Token to my field. The from my hand I activate the Speed Spell- Overtune!" Yusei declared. "Due to Overtune, since I have five speed counters, I am now allowed to release one monster on my field. And in exchange, I can summon one tuner monster from my hand that has the same level."

"Wait, just what's going on here?" Halldor asked.

"I release level one Dopple Token, and summon Majestic Dragon (Attack 0/ Defense 0)!" Yusei continued. "Now Cosmic Compass and Majestic Dragon, tune with Stardust Dragon! You were wrong when you called Stardust Dragon my ultimate beast Halldor, this is my ultimate beast. I now synchro summon, the Majestic Star Dragon (Attack 3800/ Defense 3000)!"

. . .

In the pit, Jack exclaimed, "Yes, Yusei!"

"He's actually done it!" Crow exclaimed in shocked. "He's harnessed the power of the Crimson Dragon!"

' _Use his lord's power well, Yusei,'_ Era thought watching carefully. _'And win this.'_


	64. The Light of Their Hearts- Part 2

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 64: The Light of Their Hearts- Part 2

Third Person POV

"They're something about that beast," Halldor commented on the field. He stared at it and the Crimson Dragon could be seen through his rune eye. "This monster in the incarnation of the Crimson Dragon!" He then smirked calmly. "No matter, he cannot attack."

"Now since Cosmic Compass was used to synchro summon, I get to make an additional draw," Yusei declared. "Next I throw down a face down. Then, end my turn. And now that I have I activate a face down. The trap Star Force. By paying 1000 life points, I can negate the effect of one monster until the next turn. And I negate the effects of Majestic Star Dragon to prevent it from returning it my extra deck."

"It's my turn." Halldor drew his card. "Dear Yusei, I applaud your effort to keep fighting, but as you can see, Odin out matches your dragon by 200 points and even if he didn't, you'd better believe I've taken extra precautions to secure my victory regardless. Precautions such as this one, I activate a trap card. Odin's Eye! And I'm afraid, Yusei, that your Majestic Star Dragon's ability cannot negate the activation of this card."

"It's not?" Yusei questioned.

"That's right, Yusei. When a god is on the field, nothing can negate the effect of Odin's Eye and that being the case, this trap activates," Halldor declared. "Now by negating the abilities of a god card, I'm allowed to look at your hand or a face down on your field. And I think I'll choose to look at your face down, Yusei." Odin's metal eye opened and Halldor grinned and stated, "I see. How interesting, you're face down card is Wave Rebound. That means on this very turn, if a synchro was summoned from the graveyard, you could negate that summoning and then you could deal damage equal to what that synchro's attack points were. A very cunning scheme you have planned and I do believe if you had managed to execute your scheme at this present moment, you would have won the duel. However, I think you know quite well I won't be letting that happen. Not a chance, not since I've seen it coming. Ah, Yusei, this is how it should be. Perhaps it is not as exciting for the crowd, but I assure you, it is exciting for me. After all, the very best part of a chess match such as this, is the moment the players just sit and strategize. And given the present state of this duel of ours, well, that's what we must do now. I place one card face down and end my turn."

. . .

"If only Yusei had been able to get off his trap," Crow stated.

"But he didn't get it off though and that's that," Jack retorted. "It's like Yusei said, you can't change the past but you can control what happens next. Course by that logic, Halldor can too."

"The good news is by Yusei's Stay Force trap, Majestic Star Dragon can stay for now three more turns," Bruno stated.

"But you have to remember Bruno, Monster Chain's effect will end on Yusei's next turn," Akiza reminded.

"Era, can Yusei win this?" Luna asked her.

"He can and will. Just watch and believe in him," Era responded. "Don't give up on him so quickly."

. . .

"It's my turn," Yusei stated drawing his card. "First I use the effect of Speed World 2. Now by removing seven of my speed counters, I can draw an extra card. Next, to extend the effect of Stay Force, I will pay 1000 life points. Now, Majestic Star Dragon no longer has to leave the field. With that, I end my turn."

"It's my draw," Halldor declared drawing his card. "Now then, time to end this once and for all. That's right, Yusei, I know the prevailing wisdom has us all waiting for Monster Chain to expire but it's like I said, the best part of the duel is when the players take time to strategize. Well, I have strategized, Yusei, and now I'm ready to implement that strategy. So here it comes. Odin, I activate your special ability! Now the effect used by Monster Chain to stop Odin is negated."

"Then I play my Majestic Star Dragon's ability! As you well know Halldor, when you use Odin's ability, I can released Majestic Star Dragon and negate that ability," Yusei retorted. "Then all the cards on your field are destroyed." All of Halldor's cards were destroyed as Yusei stated.

"I'll now place a card face down and end my turn," Halldor declared. "Which means we're at the end phase and my Nordic god returns. So rise, Odin, Loki, and Thor!"

"You asked for it Halldor, I activate my trap, Wave Rebound!" Yusei declared.

"Tell me, Yusei, are you happy with your plan?" Halldor asked. "Because I am happy with it. In fact, I couldn't be happier and do you know why?"

Yusei turned. "I think you're about to show me," he replied.

"I activate a trap from my graveyard," Halldor declared.

"A trap from your graveyard?" Yusei repeated.

"That's correct. Gjallarhorn! This trap unleashes its effect only when six feet under, and it's quite the effect," Halldor stated. The card activate and a person came from within it blowing a horn. "Do you hear that Yusei? That's the sound of your complete and utter destruction! That's the sound of victory and it's getting louder. Yusei, prepare to feel the full wrath of the Nordic gods!" He calmed himself down. "Sorry Yusei, but due to Gjallarhorn, your Wave Rebound won't be making any waves at all. You see, Gjallarhorn puts a stop to any effect that negates the revival of my Nordic gods. But there's more, at the end of my third turn, all the monsters I have on my field are removed from play and you get hit with a total of their attack points."

"No way," Yusei muttered.

. . .

"That means at the end phase of every turn, the three Nordic gods will return to the battlefield. Guess, Gjallarhorn really does sound the alarm for Yusei," Bruno stated.

"Especially if you add up the attack points of those three gods," Jack added. "Yusei could be taking over ten thousand points of direct damage."

Crow gave a worried whimper. "This is just awful! Yusei just went from the guy to beat to the guy getting beat!" he exclaimed.

"Not quite," Era intervened and they all looked at her. "There is something in his eyes. This is only the beginning."

. . .

"Now, then since Thor has returned, you take 800 points of damage," Halldor stated and Yusei's life points fell to 1200. "And since Loki has returned, I can add one trap card from my graveyard to my hand. And as you can see, the card I've selected is the trap Odin's Eye! You know what that means!" Yusei tensed as he watched the card. "Next, thanks to Odin's special ability, I get to draw one card from my deck." He looked at it. "Ah, very nice." He placed it in his hand. "Now, I'll end my turn and since I have, Gjallorhorn's counter becomes one." The counter was placed. "A counter that is the count _down_ to your demise, Yusei. Especially since at this very moment, the effect of your monster chain trap is snapped! Your move, Yusei, perhaps your last."

' _As long as Halldor has Odin's Eye out, he'll be able to see my card and right through my strategy. But wait…'_ Yusei thought.

 **~Flashback~**

"Yusei, when a god is on the field, nothing can negate the gaze of Odin's Eye and since that's the case, it activates," Halldor declared. "Now once per turn, by negating the special abilities of my gods, I am able to look at a card in your hand or on your field."

 **~Flashback Ended~**

' _Maybe I can use that to my advantage!'_ Yusei thought. _'After all, what you see isn't always what you get.'_

"My turn!" Yusei declared drawing his card. "And first I'm summoning Stardust Phantom (Attack 0/ Defense 0)! When Phantom is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can summon Stardust Dragon from my grave in defense mode. Furthermore, if I remove Stardust Phantom from play, I can then lower Stardust Dragon's defense points by 800 and make it invincible any attacks you dare throw its way. I then end my turn with a face down."

"I see what you're planning. I'll even break it down for you step by step," Halldor stated. "Since Phantom's ability activates form the graveyard, Thor won't be able to negate it. Then, if my three Nordic gods attack, you would simply be able to revive Stardust Dragon from your graveyard and be able to survive the onslaught due to his hardy defense. In fact, thanks to Stardust Phantom's ability, you can survive my gods' attacks three times and still keep Stardust Dragon."

"That's right," Yusei responded.

"However, you forgot one thing, it's my turn, and my speed counter is up to ten!" Halldor reminded and drew his card. "And that means I can activate Speed World 2's effect now. So by removing ten speed counters, I can destroy one card on the field. The card that I choose to destroy is that Phantom!"

"And since you have, Phantom's ability now activates, so what happens next is just as you called it. I can summon Stardust Dragon from graveyard," Yusei declared and, as said, Stardust Dragon took to the field.

"Now Thor, attack!" Halldor ordered.

Thor made his way and Yusei immediately reacted, "I play Phantom's second ability, just as you predicted. By removing phantom from play and lowering Stardust's defense by 800, he can't be destroyed in battle (Stardust Dragon: Defense 1200)!"

"Now your turn, Loki. Go, Vanity Blast!" Halldor ordered. The attack was sent.

"Once again, I activate Phantom's ability (Stardust Dragon: Defense 400)," Yusei defended.

"And that's the last time you will, Yusei," Halldor stated. "Don't you see? Stardust Dragon doesn't have enough attack points to save himself and stick around. You were one move short due to my speed counters." Yusei tensed slightly. "And now, blast that Stardust Dragon off the field, Odin! Go Sacred Scepter Slash!"

As the attack neared, Yusei called, "I play Stronghold Guardian! Since my monster in defense mode has been attacked, by banishing Stronghold, Stardust Dragon gains 1500 defense points until this turn's end phase (Stardust Dragon: Defense 1900). Now Phantom, activate your ability!" The attack was avoided and Yusei told his dragon, "Thanks for taking some shots for the team, Stardust."

"Well, I have to admit to you Yusei, I am ever so impressed with how resourceful you have become. You have been down so many times but never quite out. But that will all change. I summon Jormungardr the Nordic Serpent (Attack 3000/ Defense 3000) to your field!" Halldor declared.

"My field?" Yusei asked. The long serpent wound around Yusei like a circular wall made of a somewhat living being. "What's this? What's going on here?"

"I'll tell you what's going on here, Yusei. When a god is on my field, I can summon Jormungardr from my hand to your field in defense mode. Then if Jormungardr switches to attack mode, you take 3000 points of damage," Halldor explained. "Next I activate my face down. Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir! Due to Gleipnir, when a god is on my field, I can add Fenrir the Nordic Wolf from my deck to my hand. And then, again, thanks to the gods, I can summon Fenrir from my hand to your field in defense mode and I'm not just crying wolf! Rise, my pet! Now when your turn's battle phase begins, Fenrir switches all monsters on your side of the field in defense to attack mode. Also, from this point on both players take damage from any battle involving Fenrir."

"Say what?!" Yusei exclaimed.

. . .

Back at the pit, Bruno stated, "That is one tough card combo."

"Wait, how's this a combo?" Leo asked.

"Because, Leo, during the battle phase of Yusei's next turn, Fenrir forces monsters from defense to offense which means that… which means that Jormungardr switches to offense and Yusei takes 3000 points of damage!" Jack exclaimed.

"What?" Leo asked shocked.

"Oh no," Luna muttered.

"Era, are you sure he can win this?" Crow asked.

"At this point, I couldn't be more certain," she answered confusing them a bit.

. . .

"Next I place one card face down and end my turn," Halldor declared. "And since I have, Gjallarhorn's counter becomes two."

' _The card Halldor just placed face down has to be Odin's Eye,'_ Yusei thought. _'I'll have to play this carefully.'_

"My turn now," he declared drawing his card. "I play the trap, Hope for Escape! Now since I have less life points that you Halldor, by getting rid of 1000 of them, I'm now allowed to draw one card for every 1000 point difference in our life points." Yusei's life points dropped to 200. "And since the difference between us is more than 3000, I'm allowed to draw 3 cards from my deck. I summon Life Gardna (Attack 0/ Defense 800)! And with that done, I'm now going to summon a monster simply by removing one I already have from play. So now Jormungardr make way for Different Dimension Sprite (Attack 0/ Defense 100)!"

"But wait," Halldor responded realizing his combo was gone.

"Different Dimension Sprite, now rise and tune with Life Gardna! Behold as both power and speed surge towards each other to create the synchro, the tuner, the mighty Formula Synchron (Attack 200/ Defense 1500)!" Yusei declared.

"A synchro tuner?" Halldor asked.

"Next I play Life Gardna's ability. Because Life Gardna was used to synchro summon, I now get 800 life points," Yusei declared and his life points sprinted to 1000. "Now I'll play Formula Synchron's ability. With it, I'm allowed to draw one extra card from my deck every turn." He put a hand on his deck and thought, _'The key to winning this now isn't just skill, it's speed.'_ He drew and looked at the card. "And I just got a whole bunch of it! Let's rev it up!" he exclaimed as the wind that angled off his duel runner glowed and he moved faster than the wind. "I tune my level two Formula Synchron with my level eight Stardust Dragon! Let the spirit of all duel monsters now spread its wings and soar to new heights, where it can be transformed by the wings of destiny, where it can become all powerful! Go Accel Synchro!" Yusei vanished from sight.

"What in the world?!" Halldor exclaimed in shock.

A pulse wave was sent from behind him and Yusei appeared while exclaiming, "Appear Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)!"

"Shooting Star Dragon?" Halldor repeated. "That's Yusei's most ultimate monster."

"Now from my hand, I'm playing the Speed Spell- Star Force!" Yusei declared. "With this card, so long as I have four or more speed counters, I can remove one monster on my field from play. And then, I can give one monster on my field a super charged power up until this turn's end phase. So the monster I'm removing is Fenrir!" Fenrir was immediately destroyed and Yusei continued, "And since Fenrir was level ten, I get to power up my Shooting Star Dragon by 1000 (Shooting Star Dragon: Attack 4300)!"

"4300 attack points? This could pose a problem," Halldor stated.

"A bigger problem than you realize Halldor," Yusei retorted, "Because now Shooting Star Dragon's ability activates which means I get to check the top five cards on my deck for tuner monsters." He looked at them. "I have three, and I'm afraid for you that means I'm allowed to wage three separate attacks. Now then, let's get to it! Shooting Star Dragon attack!" His monster split into three clones of it and each attacked and destroyed the three godly monsters and dropped Halldor's life points to 1900.

"You will pay for that, Yusei," Halldor growled. "Like a bug on my duel runner windshield, you just keep hanging on; refusing to accept that sooner or later, you're going to hit the pavement."

"The only thing hitting the pavement are these two face downs," Yusei responded calmly.

"Which means it is the end phase of this turn and because it is, guess who's back," Halldor retorted. Each Nordic god returned to the field. "That's right, Thor has returned, which means you take 800 points of damage." Yusei's life points fell to 200 again. "And now Loki is back meaning I can add one trap card from my graveyard to my hand. And as you can see, the trap card I've selected is God Shackles Gleipnir. And finally Odin returns to the field allowing me draw one card from my deck. But that's not the end of it. Don't forget, now that we're at the turn's end phase your dragon's attack points return to normal (Shooting Star Dragon: Attack 3300). And now it's my turn!" He drew his card.

"Bring it on, Halldor!" Yusei challenged.

"Aren't you peppy for someone who is about to lose?" the Aesir responded.

"If I lose, at least I'll know I did everything I could to win," the Signer replied.

"Oh, please. That's the way failures speak. But I suppose that fits because you have failed," Halldor argued. "And now I'm going to make it official. Then, at long last, all of the world will recognize something as an enclad fact. And that is, the Nordic gods can defeat all who oppose them, even your fledgeling synchros. Observe, I summon Tyr of the Nordic Champions (Attack 2000/ Defense 2000)! Next I activate the trap card, Odin's Eye!" He smirked. "Remember, Yusei, you can't negate the activation of Odin's Eye when a god is on the field. Of course, I have to negate my gods' abilities in order to use Odin's Eye, but that's a small price to pay. Next up, I play Tyr's ability! Now by releasing Tyr, any attacks you were thinking of throwing my way won't do my gods any harm. In other words, the penalty that comes to use Odin's Eye is now gone. Now, then, by the divine power of Odin's Eye, let's see that face down!"

As it was about to be revealed, Yusei called stopping it, "Just what I was hoping for! I activate my trap, Trick Mirror! Due to this card, when your trap activates, I can activate its effect as though it was my own. And the trap effect that I'll be taking is that of Odin's Eye!"

"Oh no!" Halldor exclaimed shocked.

"And this means your gods' abilities are negated once more," Yusei added.

"Fine, what's it matter?" Halldor retorted. "Even without his ability, Odin has 4000 attack points which is more than enough to take down your Shooting Star Dragon. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself! Odin, attack!"

"I play Shooting Star Dragon's ability!" Yusei defended. "Now by removing Shooting Star Dragon from play during your turn, the attack of one of your monsters is negated." His dragon vanished.

"So what? Your field is now empty, Yusei. I'll just have one of my other two gods attack you now," Halldor responded.

Yusei smirked. "I play the trap, Zero Force! Now, Halldor, because my monster left the field, your three Nordic Gods are about to lose all the power and might they each possess," he fought.

"That can't be!" Halldor exclaimed but Thor, Loki, and Odin's attack points dropped to zero. "But if they're points are zero, they can no longer attack!"

"And don't forget, at the end phase of this turn, the effect of your Gjallarhorn trap activates. And that means all monsters on your field will be removed from play and that I get damaged with the combined attack points of those monsters. However, since the attack points of your three gods now total just zero, I won't be taking any damage at all," Yusei added.

"No way…" Halldor muttered shocked.

"And now that we've reached this turn's end phase, Shooting Star Dragon rises again (Attack 3300/ Defense 3000)," Yusei continued. "And with his rise comes your fall! Now go, Shooting Star! Attack!" The attack succeeded and Halldor's life points fell to zero.

Yusei and Halldor looked at each and nodded in respect before Yusei drove off to meet with his friends. When he was back, he nodded at Era who had an approving grin on her face while the others congratulated him.

Suddenly their lockets began to glow signalling a message and they looked at it. "They aren't serious, are they, Era?" Yusei asked looking at her worried.

"Today is the ninth month since the King of the Underworld's defeat," she answered.

"And what does that mean?" Akiza asked.

"The Day of Darkness is beginning," Era answered as the sky began to grow darker.

"What's the Day of Darkness?" Leo asked as they noticed the sun disappear.

"It is when the light of mortal worlds disappear for a day and demons gain more power than ever before," Era answered.

"And when that curse is supposed to activate," Yusei added and they looked at it worried.

"Have you two figured out anything on it?" Jack added worried.

"Nothing," Era added and they noticed it beginning to glow. Suddenly, though, Era collapsed and Yusei caught her.

"Era!" he called but she wouldn't budge. He immediately felt for her pulse and was relieved to find it there. "Whatever this curse is, we need to find a way to get it off of her."

"Yusei!" came Cornelia's voice. He turned as she and Myla landed. "We noticed the curse activate. We'll take her to the eldest Healer Angel. She might be able to figure out a way to get this curse off of her before it does any significant damage."

"Get her there and keep her safe," Yusei ordered and they carefully took the angel from him before flying off.

"Will she be alright, Yusei?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "The only one with any clue on how to break that curse would be the Crimson Dragon and I'm not sure what he'll be able to do with it being the day it is."

"What're the demons going to do today? Do you have an idea?" Jack asked.

"If I had to guess, turn Earth into the vision of the original King of the Underworld," Yusei answered. And they grew worried. "Whatever is going to happen now, it won't be good. Not for this world or the Afterlife."

"We'll keep it safe," Akiza assured. "We're Signers, after all."

"For now, though," Crow began and they turned seeing Yliaster getting ready for their duel, "we need to get ready to face those guys and stop them. I'm sure other angels will keep the demons busy until we can go help. We need to stop Yliaster from their goal and then we can stop the demons."

"Right," Yusei agreed followed by everyone else. _'Please, Era, stay with me,'_ he thought before they turned to face the opposing team, preparing to either save the world or die trying.

 **Alright, now before you start questioning on why that curse just made her pass out for the time being, let me tell you that's not the full effect of the curse. It is only the beginning stage. You will find out what the final stage is soon, I promise! Until then, my readers!**

 **-bricann**


	65. The Uncertainty

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 65: The Uncertainty

Jack's POV

I took off like a bullet against Lester who was on his duel board. The audience laughed at the duel "runner" he was riding, but I wasn't and neither was my team. This duel would be no laughing matter.

I ended up gaining the first turn. "I summon Dark Resonator (Attack 1300/ Defense 300) in defense mode. I then set three cards face down and end my turn," I declared.

Lester drew his card. "I summon Sky Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in defense position and also set three face downs. That ends my turn," he near copied.

I drew my card to begin my next turn. "I activate my face down Dimension Switch! This removes Dark Resonator from play. And since you have monsters on your field and I don't, I can special summon Gear Changer (Attack 1500/ Defense 700) in attack mode. And then I can activate its effect to increase its level by the level of your Sky Core (Gear Changer: Level 5). Now I send Dimension Switch to the graveyard to return Dark Resonator to the field in defense position. With him back, I tune Gear Changer with Dark Resonator to synchro summon. Show your might, Red Dragon Archfiend (Attack 3000/ Defense 2000)!" I called. "Now I normal summon Trust Guardian (Attack 0/ Defense 800). Next I can special summon Red Nova (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode since I control Red Dragon Archfiend. And then I will double tune Red Dragon Archfiend with Trust Guardian and Red Nova. Rise, Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000)! And due to its effect, Red Nova Dragon gains 500 attack for each tuner monster in my graveyard. And there are three currently, meaning he gains 1500 attack points (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 5000). Red Nova Dragon, attack Sky Core!"

"I activate Twin Vortex! This destroys Sky Core and your dragon," Lester played.

"Well due to Red Nova Dragon's effect, it can't be destroyed by your card effects," I retorted meaning only Sky Core was destroyed.

"Well, since Sky Core was destroyed by card effect, it's effect activates which allows me to summon Meklord Emperor Skiel (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Skiel Top (Attack 600/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Skiel Attack (Attack 1000/ Defense 0) in attack mode, Skiel Guard (Attack 200/ Defense 300) in defense mode, and Skiel Carrier (Attack 400/ Defense 0) in attack mode. And due to the effect of Meklord Emperor Skiel, they will combine to create an even stronger monster (Attack 2200/ Defense 0)," Lester declared.

"Red Nova Dragon, attack Meklord Emperor Skiel!" I ordered.

"I activate the effect of Skiel Guard to negate the attack," Lester defended.

"I activate Power Pressure! Since a monster's attack was negated, I can deal you 1000 points of damage," I fought.

"I activate Infinite Aura! This gains one Aura Counter for every 100 points of damage I take. And since I took 1000, it gains 10 counters (Aura Counters: 10)," Lester played as his life points fell to 3000.

"I end my turn," I finished.

Lester drew. "I activate Meklord Emperor Skiel's effect to equip itself with Red Nova Dragon," he declared.

"I activate Red Nova Dragon's effect! It removes it from place and allows me to negate one attack this turn," Jack played.

"I set a card and end my turn," Lester finished.

"And since you've ended your turn, Red Nova Dragon returns!" I responded as my dragon rose up at a full 5000 attack. I drew my card. "I summon Force Resonator (Attack 500/ Defense 500) in attack mode. Now I activate the effect of Force Resonator. By sending it to the graveyard, I can prevent you from activating card effects that target Red Nova Dragon when it attacks this turn. Added, Red Nova Dragon gains an additional 500 points (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 5500)! Red Nova Dragon, attack Meklord Emperor Skiel!"

"I activate Infinite Prison! This takes Sky Core from my graveyard and sets it as a spell card by discarding Skiel Carrier 5," Lester fought.

Red Nova Dragon destroyed Meklord Emperor Skiel and the shrimp's life points fell to 0 while his Infinite Aura gained 30 more Counters making it a total of 40. And since Meklord Skiel Infinity had been removed from the field, all the other "Skiel" monsters were destroyed as well.

Yusei's POV

As I watched Jack make the finishing blow, I couldn't help but worry. When I should've felt happy like the others that Jack had won, something didn't sit right with his win as Primo darted off to face Jack. _'Jack defeated Lester way too easily,'_ I thought uncertain of what was going on as the sky seemed to grow darker and demonic energy began to swirl around the globe.

 **Sorry this is a bit short.**


	66. The Plans that Show as They Unfold

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 66: The Plans that Show as They Unfold

Third Person POV

Primo drew his card to begin his turn. "I summon Wise Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in defense position," he declared. "Next I activate the Speed Spell- Lightning Rod! This destroys Wise Core. And since Wise Core was destroyed, I can special summon Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack position, Wisel Top (Attack 500/ Defense 0) in attack position, Wisel Attack (Attack 1200/ Defense 0) in attack position, Wisel Guard (Attack 0/ Defense 1200) in defense position, and Wisel Carrier (Attack 800/ Defense 600) in attack position. And now due to Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity's effect, they will all combine to create Meklord Emperor Wisel (Attack 2500/ Defense 0)! Now I activate the effect of Meklord Emperor Wisel to equip it with your Red Nova Dragon."

"I activate Red Nova's effect! It removes my dragon from play until the end phase and allows me to negate one attack this turn," Jack defended.

"I activate my face down, Infinity Barrage! This inflicts 400 points of damage to you for every monster you control," Primo played and Jack's life points fell to 2000. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"And since it is the end phase, Red Nova Dragon rises again, (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 5500/ Defense 3000)!" Jack called as his dragon returned. He drew his card. "Red Nova Dragon, attack Meklord Emperor Wisel Infinity!" Jack ordered.

"I activate Wisel Guard's effect to redirect the attack to it instead," Primo defended.

"I activate my face down, Burning Strike, and equip it to Red Nova Dragon. This card grants it the ability to inflict piercing damage," Jack fought.

"I activate Wise G3! By sending Wisel Guard to the graveyard, I can special summon Wisel Guard 3 (Attack 0/ Defense 2000) in defense position," Primo continued.

"Red Nova Dragon, attack Wisel Guard 3!" Jack ordered. Primo's monster wasn't destroyed due to its effect, but Red Nova still inflicted damage lowering Primo to 500 life points. Infinite Aura also activated giving its Aura Counters a total of 75.

"I activate Echo Mirror to draw a card and reveal it. If it's a monster, you will take damage equal to the monster's level times 300," Primo declared and drew his card. It ended up being level three Wisel Attack 3 and dropped Jack's life points down to 1100.

"I set a face down and end my turn," Jack declared.

" _Primo,"_ Jakob called over a secure line. _"What do you think you are doing? We need to stick to the plan."_

" _I will defeat Yusei before you need to bother,"_ Primo argued back.

" _5Ds is still confused as to what we're planning. We need to stick to the plan to ensure a win. If you go off on your own, we may end up losing. Stick with the plan, Primo,"_ Jakob ordered. _"Besides, we agreed to let Brehnam have his revenge against Yusei first. Remember?"_

Primo growled in irritation submission. _"Right,"_ he agreed. _"Very well, I will stick with the plan."_ He turned back to the duel at hand. He drew his card to begin his turn. "I set two face downs and end my turn."

. . .

In the stands, Leo wondered, "Why didn't Primo counter or something? He must've had something to stop the attack."

"I don't know. It doesn't sit right," Yusei responded. "If I had to guess, it's most likely something to do with that Infinite Aura card. Both Lester and Primo seem to be losing life points on purpose to get counters on that thing. And I don't want to know what'll happen if they get enough counters on that thing."

"Then we need to destroy it before they can use its full effect," Crow stated.

"Right," Yusei agreed. "Leo, put out a warning card for Jack. Let him know that cards needs to go."

"Right," Leo agreed.

. . .

As Jack drove, he got the message saying to destroy Infinite Aura and thought, _'So Infinite Aura is some sort of big strategy they're playing out. I'll take it out, then,'_ he thought. He then called, "I activate my face down, Synchro Sonic! Since I control at least one synchro monster, I can destroy Infinite Aura."

"I activate Infinite Guard Formation! By negating the effects of all the effect monsters I control, I can negate the effect of Synchro Sonic (Meklord Emperor Wisel: Attack 0)," Primo defended.

"Red Nova Dragon, attack Meklord Emperor Wisel!" Jack ordered. Primo's monsters and life points fell while Infinite Aura's Aura Counters increases to 80.

"I activate Infinite Prison! This takes Wise Core from my graveyard and sets it as a spell card by discarding Wisel Attack 3," Primo finished.

Jakob took to the field. "I summon Grand Core (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in defense mode and then activate Explosive Blast to destroy Grand Core and deal 400 points of damage to you," he declared and Jack's life points fell to 700. "And since Grand Core was destroyed by card effect and send to the graveyard, I can special summon Meklord Emperor Granel (Attack 0/ Defense 0) in attack position, Granel Top (Attack 500/ Defense 0) in attack position, Granel Attack (Attack 1300/ Defense 0) in attack position, Granel Guard (Attack 500/ Defense 1000) in defense position, and Granel Carrier (Attack 700/ Defense 700) in attack position. And due to its effect, my monsters will combine into one and its attack and defense points increase to become equal to my life points (Meklord Emperor Granel: Attack 4000/ Defense 4000). And then I activate Speed Spell- Takeover to destroy Infinite Aura. By destroying that card, I can life points equal to the total number of counters it had times 100." Jakob's life points increased to 12000, as did Meklord Emperor Granel's attack and defense. "I set a card face down. Now, Meklord Emperor Granel, attack Red Nova Dragon!"

"I activate Red Nova Dragon's effect to remove it from play and allow me to negate one attack," Jack defended.

"I activate Granel Top's effect, which negates your dragon's effect until the end phase," Jakob fought and the blast hit, destroying Jack's monster and Jack's life points. "And since Granel destroyed a synchro monster in battle, I activate Granel Attack's effect to take Red Nova Dragon from the graveyard and equip it to Meklord Emperor Granel. And now due to the effect of Meklord Emperor Granel, it gains attack equal to the attack of Red Nova Dragon (Meklord Emperor Granel: Attack 15500."

Jack came in badly hurt from the final assault. Yusei called to Crow, "Be careful, Crow. Do not take this duel lightly at all."

"Right," Crow agreed and took off.

Yusei began to use a spell to heal the most of Jack's injuries to the best of his ability. _'I wish you were here to help us, Era,'_ he thought. _'Please, Era. Be alright and survive whatever that curse did to you.'_


	67. The Fight of the Blackwings

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 67: The Fight of the Blackwings

Third Person POV

It was Crow's turn to duel and the odds were not good whatsoever. Team 5Ds were not ready to feel at all like they were going to win with Jakob's Meklord Emperor Granel hosting a total of 15,500 attack points.

' _And I had thought Paradox's Malefic Truth Dragon was powerful, but this was a whole different level. Especially since it can also take synchro monsters from the graveyard if they were destroyed by battle and Granel Top can negate a monster's effect,'_ Yusei thought. _'Crow, be careful.'_

Crow drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy your Meklord Emperor Granel," he declared.

"I activate my face down, Infinity Wall. This negates all card effects that would destroy any cards I control this turn," Jack defended.

"Well then, I summon Blackwing- Steam the Cloaked (Attack 800/ Defense 1200) in attack mode. And since I control a Blackwing monster, I can special summon Blackwing- Bora the Spear (Attack 1700/ Defense 800) from my hand in attack mode," Crow responded. "I then remove my turn monsters from play to special summon Blackwing- Aurora the Northern Lights (Attack 0/ Defense 0) from my hand with its effect. ANd due to its effect, its level becomes the combined levels of the two removed monsters (Blackwing- Aurora the Northern Lights: Level 7). And since Steam the Cloaked left the fields, its effect activates, special summon Steam Token (Attack 100/ Defense 100) in attack mode. Now with the second effect of Aurora, I can remove from play Blackwing Armor Master from my extra deck to make the attack and effects of Aurora the Northen Lights as Blackwing Armor Master until my next Standby Phase (Blackwing- Aurora the Northern Lights: Attack 2500).' Crow then thought, _'By attacking Meklord Emperor Granel with Aurora, I can place a Wedge Counter on Meklord Emperor Granel at the end of the the damage step. I could then remove the counter to reduce the attack of Meklord Emperor Granel to 0. That would activate the effect of my Steam Token, which will remove Meklord Emperor Granel from play and destroying all the parts of his monster.'_ He then ordered. Aurora, attack Meklord Emperor Granel!"

"I activate the effect of Granel Guard! This treats the Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000) equipped to Granel as a face up attack position monster in the Spell and Trap Card Zone during the damage step only and changing the attack target to it," Jakob defended.

Due to the effects granted to Aurora from Blackwing Armor Master, it wasn't destroyed and Crow took no battle damage. At the end of the damage step, the Wedge counter was about to be placed on Red Nova Dragon, but the dragon became an equip card again and the counter was void.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Crow finished and Steam Token destroyed itself due to its own effect.

Yusei's POV

"I don't like this," Akiza stated.

I nodded in agreement. "And the demonic energy in the air is increasing by the second. We need to finish this fast," I stated.

" _Yusei!"_ called Yue's voice. We turned to see her landing. _"Word. In the sky. Now."_

I sighed and looked at my friends. "I'll be back in a moment," I told them before taking into to the sky with the young World Angel. Once we were a good height up, I asked her, _"What's up, Yue?"_

" _That curse on Era. It's a curse older than angels. Literally made just after the original Guardian Angel of Light was created,"_ she explained. _"We literally had to scavenge through the very back of everything we had to find out what it does."_

" _What's it do, Yue?"_ I asked sternly.

" _It is made specifically for the Guardian Angel of Light. It is made to turn the immense power of her own angelic ability and the power and heart of the Crimson Dragon against her own body and any child inside her. It's meant to turn an angel's power into demonic power. And if an angel turns demonic, the angel dies,"_ she explained and that worried me. _"It won't reach Era's child until it takes full effect of her body and the lead Healer Angel helping her is holding the curse back as much as possible. But there's no telling when it becomes to strong for even the Healer Angel."_

" _Why are you telling me this now?"_ I asked as they looked down at the duel for a moment.

" _The only way to avoid any chance of the child from being affected by the curse is to have Era give birth to it now,"_ Yue explained.

" _Is it even ready for that?"_ Yusei asked alarmed.

" _Myla says from what she can tell, it's well developed. Era would've given birth any day now as it is,"_ Yue explained. _"But you know Era won't do it without you there."_

" _Is she awake?"_ I asked.

" _Yeah. But she's also really weak. She can barely even sit up at the moment,"_ she replied. _"I know you're busy with Yliaster, Yusei. But Era needs you right now."_

I looked down at the duel. There was no telling how long until Crow would lose, if he lost. I needed to be here to take to the field when I needed to be. _"Akiza, I need you to do me a favor,"_ I told her telepathically.

" _What is it?"_ she responded.

" _I need to go check on Era for a second and try to help her. If I'm not already back, when it seems it's only a matter of a turn or two before Crow loses if he does, I need you to contact me telepathically. I should be able to still hear you in the Afterlife,"_ I asked.

" _What's going on, Yusei?"_ she asked.

" _The Curse she has is a lot more dangerous than we thought. I need to hurry. Can you do this for me?"_ I replied.

" _Yeah. Go help, Era. I'll let you know when we need you back,"_ she answered. _"But with the way things are going, that'll be sooner rather than later."_

" _Thanks, Akiza,"_ I responded. _"I'll be back as soon as I can."_

" _Right,"_ she agreed.

I left the connection open to allow her to contact me at a moment's notice and turned to Yue. _"Let's go, Yue,"_ I told her. She nodded and we both took off.

We quickly arrived in the Afterlife and into the angel medical facility where I saw it was a powerful Healer Angel known as Hikari obviously holding the curse to her arm. I immediately ran to Era as she looked at me.

"Is the duel against Yliaster going okay?" she asked a bit weak.

"It's going fine," I told her despite knowing it was a lie. But I couldn't have her worrying over the duel with her like this. I gently held her face.

"Era, listen to me for a moment," Hikari called to her. "If we're going to ensure the baby you are carrying in you doesn't get hurt or affected by this curse, we need to have you give birth, like, _now_. We won't make you if you don't want to. But it should be ready to be born and I'm not sure how long I can keep this curse under wraps."

"Only if Yusei's here," she stated looking at him.

"I'll stay with you until I need to duel," I told her. "I promise." She gave a small nod of agreement.

Third Person POV

Jakob drew his card. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By removing ten speed counters, I can destroy your Aurora the Northern Lights," he declared and Crow's monster shattered. "Meklord Emperor Granel, attack him directly!"

"I special summon Blackwing Ghibli the Searing Wind (Attack 0/ Defense 1600) from my hand in defense position," Crow defended.

"Well, then, Meklord Emperor Granel, destroy his Blackwing- Ghibli the Searing Wind!" Jakob fought.

"As a Winged-beast monster with 1000 or less attack points was destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard, I can activate my face down, Black Wing Revenge! This allows me to special summon two Blackwing- Black Crest Tokens (Attack 0/ Defense 800) in defense position. And then I activate my other face down, Blackboost to draw two cards as I control at least two Blackwing Monsters," Crow responded.

"I activate the effect of Granel Attack! This treats Red Nova Dragon equipped to my Meklord Emperor as an attack position monster during the battle phase only and also allows Red Nova Dragon to inflict piercing damage, though it can't attack directly. So, Red Nova Dragon, attack one of those Black Crest Tokens!" Red Nova Dragon attacked and destroyed one of Crow's monsters and Crow's life points fell to 1300. "I set a face down and end my turn."

Akiza began to debate calling Yusei now. _'Let's wait another turn. See what Crow plays and then that should tell me,'_ she decided.

Crow drew his card. "I tribute my Black Crest Token to tribute summon. Rise up, Blackwing- Hillen the Tengu-wind (Attack 0/ Defense 2300) in defense mode," he declared. "I set two face downs and end my turn."

"Crow doesn't have any cards in his hand left and his monster can't stand up to even Red Nova Dragon," Leo commented worriedly.

" _Yusei, can you hear me?"_ Akiza called.

" _Loud and clear, Akiza,"_ he answered.

" _You need to get back. It's Jakob's turn and it looks like it'll be the last one Crow will face this tournament,"_ she told him.

Akiza heard him mentally sigh and there was a moment of silence. _"I'll be there within a few seconds,"_ he told her.

" _Hurry, Yusei,"_ she requested.

. . .

Yusei was holding a baby girl wrapped in white cloth. The baby was sleeping in his arms. "What do you think we should name her?" he asked his mate.

"What about Seika?" Era suggested. Yusei nodded in approval.

" _Yusei, can you hear me?"_ he quickly heard Akiza call.

" _Loud and clear, Akiza,"_ he answered.

" _You need to get back. It's Jakob's turn and it looks like it'll be the last one Crow will face this tournament,"_ she told him.

Yusei looked at Era. "I need to get going. It's almost time for me to duel," he told her.

"Go ahead, Yusei. I'll be alright," she told her. "You need to stop Yliaster before they can destroy the world with the demons."

"Right," he agreed. He kissed her forehead lovingly and handed her Seika. He reluctantly, but quickly took off. _"I'll be there within a few seconds,"_ he told Akiza.

" _Hurry, Yusei,"_ she requested.

He quickly arrived at their side, turning invisible before he was in view of the crowd. "Where did you go?" Jack asked. With Yusei having healed the majority of his injuries, he had been able to stay for the time being.

"I'll explain later," he replied vaguely. "For now, let's just focus on the duel." They nodded in agreement and turned back.

Jakob drew his card. "I activate Granel Attack's effect once again and target Red Nova Dragon for it. Red Nova Dragon, attack Hillen the Tengu-wind!" he ordered. The attacked destroyed Crow's monster and dropped Crow to 100 life points. "Meklord Emperor Granel, attack his directly!"

The attack hit and Crow's life points fell to zero, but Crow called, "I activate Blackwing- Hillen the Tengu-wind's effect to revive itself (Attack 0/ Defense 2300) and Blackwing- Ghibli the Searing Wind (Attack 0/ Defense 1600) in attack position. Then I activate my face down Urgent Tuning to tune Ghibli with Hillen to synchro summon a synchro monster in defense mode. Soar, Black-Winged Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 1600)!"

Due to the rules of the World Racing Grand Prix, it immediately went to Jakob's end phase meaning Red Nova Dragon became an equip card again. Crow passed the baton to Yusei who had to leave meaning he couldn't heal Crow, frustrating him slightly as Crow was badly beaten up.

' _This ends in this duel,'_ Yusei thought determined.

 **Okay, be honest, how many of you thought of Studio Ghibli when you heard/saw in the actual show or read in stories like this Blackwing- Ghibli the Searing Wind? I know I'm not the only one who immediately thought of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, and those other movies.**

 **If you haven't heard of Studio Ghibli I am disappointed in you, especially if you think you're an anime nerd or anime trash.**

 **But, honestly, I cannot be the only one who didn't think of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli movies when I saw or heard the name Ghibli. So be honest and tell me through PMs or Reviews if you are like me and thought of it. I would like to know that I'm not the only one.**

 **And also tell me how well I'm doing through PMs and Reviews.**

 **Welp… Until the next chapter!**

 **-bricann**


	68. The Past Events

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 68: The Past Events

Third Person POV

"With Team 5Ds down to their last duelists, the World Racing Grand Prix final is reaching its climax," the MC called.

' _Why did Crow leave Yusei a synchro monster? Since it's a synchro, it will just become food for my Meklord Emperor Granel and Yusei will be sent to hell. If that's even possible for angels,'_ Jakob thought

"Crow's move is foolish," Lester mocked over the com.

"Ignore Lester, Jakob and focus on Yusei. Yusei is the real threat," Primo told their leader.

"You're overestimating Yusei," Lester commented.

. . .

In the booth with Team 5Ds, Akiza wondered, "Why would Crow summon Black-Winged Dragon?"

"I'm not sure, after what happened to Red Nova Dragon," Bruno answered. "If Black-Winged Dragon is also absorbed by that thing, it will all be over."

Crow was placed in an infirmary with Jack and Trudge looking at him. "I hope Yusei uses his card well," Trudge commented.

. . .

' _I know why Crow left Black-Winged Dragon to me. Throughout all the hardship we've experienced in this tournament, we didn't fight with our individual decks. We fought using three decks,'_ Yusei thought on the duel field. With him at 4000 life points and Jakob at 12,000, Yusei drew his card to begin his turn. "I summon Wave Wall (Attack 0/ Defense 2000) in defense mode. I then set two cards face down and end my turn," he declared. He looked at Crow's dragon. _'You can count of me, Crow.'_

"Though you know the path of their destruction, you still think you can win with synchro monsters. You're pitiful and I will make you disappear," Jakob comments and drew his card. "Meklord Emperor Granel, attack Black-Winged Dragon!"

"I activate the effect of Wave Wall! Since I control a synchro monster, I can negate your attack," Yusei defended. "And let's not forget, since Granel is five monsters being treated as one, it can only attack once."

"Since my Meklord Emperor monster didn't destroy your monster that it attacked by battle, I can activate this: Attack Cannon! So by releasing Granel Attack, I can destroy your pathetic synchro," Jakob fought.

"I activate another card Crow left for me. Shadow Impulse! With this, I am able to summon a synchro from my extra deck with the same level and type as the synchro monster just destroyed, but its attack becomes zero and its effects are negated," Yusei retorted. "And I choose Stardust Dragon (Attack 2500/ Defense 2000)."

"Don't get too conceited for surviving the attack. Your bonds are to be destroyed by Granel anyway," Jakob told him. "Regardless of how much it struggles, an ant cannot defeat an elephant. An elephant will not recognize a small existence like an ant passing by. Team New World are the elephants trying to change history, while you, Team 5Ds, are just ants who can do nothing but pass by." Yusei glared. "I summon Granel Attack 3 (Attack 1800/ Defense 0). Now since I have four speed counters, I activate the Speed Spell- Silent Burn! This inflicts 300 points of damage to you for each monster that didn't attack. Feel the power of an elephant!" Yusei's life points fell to 2800 and Yusei swerved a bit from the force of the assault, but regained control. "Had you crashed there, you would have spared yourself further pain that awaits you. I set one face down and end my turn."

"I'm not going to give up against you trying to change history. I'll keep fighting no matter what," Yusei vowed.

"That is foolishness as far as I'm concerned. There is no hope for you. I will show you what the future is like," Jakob told him. The Infinity symbol on Jakob's mouth cover lit up and a larger infinity symbol appeared in the sky while the Signers' Marks of the Dragon all lit up as well.

"Why is Jakob showing them that?" Lester asked shocked.

"Jakob, stop now!" Primo ordered.

The symbol in the sky activated and Team 5Ds' minds are transported elsewhere.

. . .

They find themselves on what appeared to be another world. "Where are we?" Leo wondered.

"I don't know," Akiza responded.

"I've seen this scene before…" Yusei muttered. They looked below them to see Duel Monsters sealed in stone slabs in a red wasteland.

"This looks like a graveyard," Jack commented.

Suddenly, Akiza spotted something. "Hey! Is that…?" she stopped as they saw the rings from the center of New Domino's bridge networkr.

' _This has to be a lie,'_ Yusei thought, trying to convince himself.

Primo, Jakob, and Lester then appeared before them. "You shall be shown the truth of the future," Jakob told them.

"Is this the future of New Domino?" Yusei asked.

"It all began with synchro summons," Jakob informed as the scenery changed to a few years previous. At the appearing time, the city was brighter and in working order. There were a number of floating structures above the city; a number of turbo duelist shown on a road all synchro summonings; in an arena for ground dueling, a hologram of a cowgirl held up Naturia Leodrake while other duelists all around her raised their synchro monsters too. "Both the world and dueling had evolved and people became more obsessed with dueling. Synchro summoned even became a synchro for this town." Duel Academy was show where a teacher was explaining synchro by pointing to a projection showing Plaguespreader Zombie and Marauding Captain being used to synchro summon Ally of Justice Catastor. "At this time, duel runners and synchro summons grew rapidly, both of which were linked to Ener-D. The Ener-D's rotation speed continually increased as the world evolved, but the evolution was too quick."

Lester laughed. "The evolution was indeed incredible," he stated and kept laughing.

"Shut up," Primo told the younger member.

Suddenly an army of Meklord Emperors appeared and the people in the city all looked up in surprise. But the Meklord Emperors then started attacking and destroying the city. Leo pointed below to where Lester was visible, running with his mother and father.

"That is his memory of this age," Lester told them. Below Lester and his parents were struck by a blast from one of the emperors. Lester survived, but his parents were killed.

The scenery then changed slightly and Primo said, "This is my memory." In the memory, Primo was with a girl inside a destroyed building, both of them armed. Afer a Meklord Emperor Granel passed, they both shot at it, doing some damage. They looked at each other in triumph, but then the building is shot at the girl is killed. Primo cried out loud and the Meklord Emperor appeared in front of him and the man shot at the robot in anger while Team 5Ds watched in horror.

"The greed of humanity had finally reached its peak," Jakob explained. "At that time, the Ener-D suddenly became uncontrollable as it reacted to the greed. The Ener-D went bersrk and caused explosions all across the world."

"No way! Ener-D wouldn't go out of control again," Yusei refused to believe.

"I am telling the truth. I will show you my memory of the world that had been destroyed by humanity's foolishness," Jakob stated as the scenery shifted in a destroyed world. The visionary Jakob was dressed in rags and walking through the destroyed city, devoid of any other people. The present day Jakob continued, "I was the chosen one, although I didn't know if it was through luck or misfortune. As the only survivor, I wandered around, but nobody could hear my voice."

' _This isn't the future. The angels wouldn't allow it,'_ Yusei thought. _'If this happened, it would only be because demons got their way.'_

. . .

Team 5Ds all snapped out of the vision as they appeared back in present day. "Will synchro summoning really lead to that world?" Yusei wondered quietly. "No, it won't. I won't believe it will."

"Are you trying to escape fate?" Jakob asked.

"You're lying about synchro summoning causing that future. I know you are," Yusei accused. "Angels wouldn't allow a future like that to happen unless demons got their way like they're planning to do today."

"That kind of ignorance is what led to the destruction," Jakob commented.

"We can decide the fate of the future ourselves," Yusei told him.

" _Jakob, think more closely to what Yusei just said. He said demons are planning on making a future like that if they get there way_ _ **today**_ _,"_ Primo called.

Jakob looked at Yusei. "What do you mean when you're speaking about the demons plans?" he asked.

"Brehnam told us this a while back. He wasn't planning on helping you create a utopian society at all. He's been using you so on this day called the Day of Darkness he and all of demon kind can make this world into the vision of the King of the Underworld," Yusei explained. "The Day of Darkness is today and why it got so dark so quickly. Right now, the sun has gone dark and demons have more power than ever. They aren't planning on helping you achieve the future you think is best; they're planning on making the Earth like the Underworld. Where humans are slaves and tortured by demons, where depression and despair control everything. It's that world angels try to keep from happening and it's the world that you saw that if angels have any ability to stop they will. So, Jakob, unless the angels were wiped out which is near impossible, then that future is impossible to have unless demons get their way today. They're using the power of you and the power of which you are creating to destroy the world and they will then turn it into the Underworld. I'm surprised none of you were able to tell Brehnam's true intentions by now."

"And how can you be so certain of this?" Jakob asked.

"First of all, he told it to Era and I to our face quite a while back," Yusei began. "Second of all, he's a demon. What did you expect?" Jakob gave a thoughtful expression but said nothing. Yusei drew his card to begin the duel. "First I summon Mono Synchron (Attack 0/ Defense 0) and use its effect to change the level of Wave Wall to 1. Now I tune Wave Wall with Mono Synchron. Clustering hope will open the new speed's horizon. Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro summon! The power of hope, synchro tuner, Formula Synchron (Attack 200/ Defense 1500). Our bonds will open the path to a better future. I tune Stardust Dragon with Formula Synchron. Clustering dreams and hopes will open the door onto evolution. Become the path its light shines upon. Accel synchro!" He disappeared for a moment before appeared again above a pulse wave. "Be born, Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)! Next I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect. With it I can check the top five cards on my deck for tuner monster and then shuffle it. And for every tuner monster I draw, I can attack one time." The full Mark of the Crimson Dragon appeared on his back and he drew the cards. He revealed them and saw he drew all five. "I drew five, Jakob. And that means I can attack five times." Shooting Star Dragon attack Granel Attack 3 to start.

"I use the effect of Granel Guard to redirect the attack to Red Nova Dragon. And since Red Nova Dragon has 3300 attack points, it will destroy your monster," Jakob played.

"Not quite, I activate Synchro Striker Unit! This raises its attack to 4300," Yusei fought.

"Due to Granel Carrier's effect, I can prevent Red Dragon Archfiend from being destroyed once per turn," Jakob defended but he still took damage and his life points were lowered to 11,200 and the attack of Meklord Emperor Granel became 14,700.

The second Shooting Star Dragon attacked Red Nova Dragon, destroying it. Both Jakob's life points and the attack of Granel fell to 10,400. The third attacked Granel Attack 3 and the fourth went at Granel Top dropping the opposing team's member to 4100. And the final Shooting Star Dragon attacked Meklord Emperor Granel Infinity destroying it along with Granel Guard and Granel Carrier while leaving Jakob's life points with 3900.

"I set two face downs and end my turn," Yusei finished while the effect of Synchro Striker Unit caused Shooting Star Dragon to lose 800 attack points, lowering it to 3500. Yusei sped ahead so his duel runner was beside Jakob's. "This is our power towards the future. Synchro summon and Accel Synchro summon have stopped Yliaster's ambitions."

"Are you sure you see to see my future that badly?" Jakob asked. "Thanks to you, my field is now reduced to burnt land." That reminded Yusei of the wasteland from the future vision. "Not to worry." Lester and Primo quickly joined him. "Aporia will fix that."

"Aporia? What is that?" Yusei asked.

"Lester, Primo, and I are three beings that strive towards justice and bring hope into this world. The time has come for us to become one," Jakob explained vaguely. The infinity symbol over his mouth glowed followed by a larger one lighting up the sky again. Then the ones over Lester and Primo's eyes glowed as well. Jakob ejected and flies towards an infinity symbol.

Lester and Primo's bodies merge into Jakob's. His face now bears the three infinity symbols from Jakob's mouth, Primo's right eye, and Lester's left eye and form into a mask as the body changed form. As soon as the transformation was complete, the mask disappeared.

Yusei looked up in surprise as the new person came down while Lester's duel board and Primo's duel runner drove up alongside Jakob's duel runner. The three vehicles glowed and transformed before combining to create a new duel runner. The new person came down and parts of his body opened and revealed connection ports. An array of wires are sent from the duel runner and connected into the man and combined with his new vehicle and he fired his cards into their slots on the runner.

"Who are you?" Yusei asked in shock.

The new man opened his eyes and said, "I am Aporia, the Guardian of Despair."


	69. The Final Duel

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 69: The Final Duel

Yusei's POV

"Who are you?" I asked in shock.

The new man opened his eyes and said, "I am Aporia, the Guardian of Despair. This is my true form. The Three Pure Nobles were separate aspects of a single being. You are as a duelist as he ascribed him to be. I had predicted that you would topple the Meklord Emperor, and with this, the Grand Design is now close to completion."

"What are you getting at?" I asked.

Aporia ignored me as he began his turn, "I activate Infinite Prison. By discarding Infinity Force, I can take Grand Core from my graveyard and set it as a spell card. I then use the second effect of Infinite Prison; By sending itself to the graveyard, I can take the cards set by its first effect and add them to my hand." Sky Core, Wise Core, and Grand Core were projected out of the Spell and Trap Card Zone and returned to Aporia's hand. "Total despair. A new power stronger than anything you have seen is about to descend. I activate Meklord Emperor Creation!" He threw the three Core cards into the air. "I am sending them to the graveyard to special summon my own ace monster: Meklord Astro Mekanikle (Attack 4000/ Defense 4000)!" In an instant, the Core cards combine and reform into the monster. It was a massive white and gold robot, which fired a beam into the sky causing lightning to appear and strike the city. That's when I noticed a _lot_ demon eyes beginning to appear in the sky.

I immediately turned and sent a communication to Yue, warning her the attack on Earth from the demons was imminent and that I was stuck dueling for the fate of the world with Yliaster. She responded almost immediately saying that she noticed and was getting the Combat Angels and World Angels ready. I had forgotten that World Angels were taught enough combat spells to fight demons but didn't specialize in them and were a bit weaker. But I knew we needed as many angel as possible for this fight against demons. I honestly didn't like I was trapped in this duel while demons were trying to make the world into a living Hell. I noticed my mark begin to glow and knew the others were also glowing.

Aporia then called, "Heroes shall witness the power of Meklord Astro Mekanikle, the Devil of Despair! My monster can absorb a synchro monster once per turn, and increasing its attack by that of the absorbed synchro monster." Meklord Astro Mekanikle launched an array of beams at Shooting Star Dragon.

"I activate the effect of Shooting Star Dragon to remove itself from play," I defended.

"I use another one of Mekanikle's effects. It can use the effect of any Meklord Emperor component I discard from my hand. I send Granel Guard 3, allowing Mekanikle to negate the activation of the effect of Shooting Star Dragon," Aporia fought and my monster was taken by Meklord Astro Mekanikle while the giant robot's attack rose to 7300.

' _Not good,'_ I thought.

"I stand before you as the door to despair. You will come to understand the despair that I have tasted," Aporia told me. "In order to fight that despair, I came to this era as three separate entities."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"The reason I broke off into the Three Pure Nobles, knowns as Jakob, Lester and Primo…" he trailed off before Yusei and the others found themselves back in the future visions.

. . .

They looked to see a dome below them with someone inside. The man looked like Jakob dressed in tattered clothing. "Why did this happen?" the man asked.

"Jakob," I muttered. But I then realized the truth. "No, it's Aporia."

The vision Aporia dropped to his knees. "Is anyone there?"

The present day Aporia began to narrate, "I witnessed the point in history where humanity met its end. I had thought I was the lone survivor and trembled in despair. But then three survivors came up to me: Z-One, Paradox, and Antinomy." Z-One held out his hand to Aporia. "They are the last survivors of this world; and as the only ones who live, we have an important mission to fulfill." The four survivors gathered in a building. Z-One held out his hand next to a stone, causing it to stand. "Our mission was to dispose of the core power of Ener-D, which took out the world, in order to create hope for the future. The four of us father the remainder of that power and sought to find a solution, which could restore mankind and the ruined world. However, that turned out to be reckless and naïve thinking. We performed endless experiments and during those experiments, until I was the one of my friends left alive." As he explained this Antinomy and Paradox were seen in capsules with Aporia standing over them and Z-One in a machine. "I had been left alone and powerless again." The vision changed so that now Aporia was in a capsule and Z-One looking over him.

The vision Aporia said, "There is no future here. Z-One, please listen to what I have to say. My soul exists as three embodiments of despair: First, the despair I suffered after I lost those who loved me; Second, the despair I suffered after losing the one I loved; And thirdly, the despair I suffered after having no one left to love. Using the power I possess, I plan to split my soul into these three embodiments of despair. Z-One, use me as your servant. I am confident you will bring back hope and the future."

"I promise to do so," Z-One vowed and Aporia died with that.

. . .

Team 5Ds then returned once again to the current time and location. "Following that, I was reborn as three embodiments of despair. Under the names Lester, Primo, and Jakob, I created Yliaster in order to keep the promise I made to my friends; to prevent the downfall of the future. For that purpose, I plan to eliminate all traces of New Domino City's history. By destroying the source of Ener-D, I will save the future. And I will achieve this through Team New World's victory over Team 5Ds, which will cause the city to perish and the future to change," Aporia finished.

"I don't think so," I disagreed.

"Now that my three embodiments of despair have joined back into one entity, you have no chance of victory. Witness the extent of my power born from despair!" Aporia called and launched a number of beams from his body, which struck and destroyed parts of the city, including a portion of the turbo duel circuit in front of us. The two of us ramped off the broken circuit and onto the road below.

I looked up to see the building high above. "The only way to stop it is to win the duel," I remarked.

I then noticed demons beginning to come down and attack some citizens. I immediately shot the demons away from the people and they glared at me while I glared at them. Instead of attacking me, though, they flew off, like they had gotten a command. _'I'm guessing Brehnam wants me for himself,'_ I thought.

Aporia then said returning my attention to the duel, "Since I have absorbed Shooting Star Dragon, you have no hope left. All that is left is the black pit of despair for you to experience."

"You're forgetting something, Aporia," I stated and he looked at him curiously. "I'm an angel, and angels never feel despair." The man opposing me glared. As we drove through the streets, Aporia's large duel runner smashed through parked cars, sending them flying and causing citizens to run for cover. _'I need to get somewhere void of citizens,'_ I thought.

"Mekanikle, attack Yusei directly!" Aporia ordered.

As the attack headed for me, I spotted a young girl up ahead in the middle of the road, crying for her month. "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to negate the attack!" I declared while pulling my duel runner to stop in front of the girl. I tell her, "Get out of here!" She didn't hesitate and once she was a safe distance away, I hurried off. _'I need to lure Aporia into the old BAD area. There's no people to be harmed in that area,'_ I thought and lured Aporia onto the bridges.

"It is futile," Aporia stated. "I set a card. And when I end my turn, the effect of Mekanikle activates, sending the synchro monster I absorbed to the graveyard and you will be dealt with damage equal to the attack of the synchro monster. With you having 2800 and the attack of Shooting Star Dragon 3300, your demise is inevitable."

"I don't think so," I argued. "This is why. I activate Wild Tornado! This destroys Shooting Star Dragon."

Aporia growled. "I end my turn," he finished.

I drew my card to begin my turn. I noticed the angels begin to come and attack the demons relieving me. But there weren't a lot with how many angels were still in classes and learning spells that would be necessary to fight demons. I only hoped it would be enough. _'Once I'm finished with Aporia, I'll help. There's no questioning that.'_ I turned back to the duel. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing 7 speeed counters, I can draw one card." I drew it. "I summon Salvagent (Attack 300/ Defense 800)! But it's not staying for long. By releasing it, I can negate teh effect of a synchro monster in my graveyard and special summon it in defense mode. So I call back, Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)! And due to another effect of Salvagent, it is no longer treated as a synchro monster. With that, I end my turn with two face downs."

Aporia laughed. "You called out a synchro monster by throwing away its effects?" he mocked. "My victory in this duel will bring forth destruction and within that destruction lies the door to a new future."

"There is no way a new future can be born from destruction," I retorted.

"I will prove that it can. Through the history Yliaster has created with their own hands," Aporia argued. He drew his card. "I use the effect of Speed World 2 to remove 7 speed counters and draw one card, as well. I send Wisel Attack 5 to the graveyard to give its effect to Mekanikle. So my monster can now inflict piercing damage equal to double the difference."

"I still have Scrap-Iron Scarecrow," I reminded him.

"That is useless. Since Wisel Attack 5 has an attack, it prevents the activation of my opponets trap cards when it attacks," Aporia retorted. "What do you think of the taste of despair?" He then laughed maniacally. "I will emerge victorious next turn and the Grand Design will be complete. When that happens, the limitless amounts of Ener-D will be released and the Divine Temple will appear in order to guide New Domino. The destruction will lead to the start of a new future free of despair!"

' _What can I do to destroy Meklord Astro Mekanikle?'_ I thought.

"We shall go to a new future," Aporia bragged.

Jack and Crow came up and met with Yusei by the duel. "What're you doing here?" I asked knowing both Jack and Crow were still hurt.

"We've come to join you," Jack told him.

"We still have a battle to finish," Crow added.

"It's too dangerous with you still injured from losing to Jakob," I tried.

"We don't care," Crow told him. "This burden doesn't just belong to you. We should be sharing it." I nodded slowly.

' _Wait, I haven't used the card Jack left for me yet!'_ I realized. _'Since the cards contain the bonds between the three of us, I can't lose.'_

"Meklord Astro Mekanikle, attack that Shooting Star Dragon! Cube of Despair!" Aporia ordered.

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" I called.

"That move is useless as the effect of Wisel Attack 5 negates and destroys trap cards," Aporia stated and my card was destroyed, but that didn't faze me.

"But you forget, you can only destroy one trap card," I reminded my opponent. "I activate the card Jack left for me, Revenge Twin Soul! By removing two synchro monsters in my graveyard from play, Shooting Star Dragon gains defense equal to their combined levels time 100. So I remove Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon, giving Shooting Star Dragon 2000 more defense points (Shooting Star Dragon: Defense 4500). And if the attacking monster's attack is lower than the target monster's defense, the attack monster is also destroyed." Shooting Star Dragon was hit by the blast and deflected it back at Mekanikle.

"I activate the effect of Mekanikle! By removing a Meklord Emperor component in my graveyard from play, I can negate its destruction," Aporia defended. "So I remove Granel Carrier." Mekanikle was saved but he still took damage dropping his life points to 3400. "I must admit, Yusei, you are stronger than I had thought. But resistance is futile. All will still be lost. I set a card face down and end my turn." And because of it, Revenge Twin Soul's effect wore off and returned Shooting Star Dragon's defense to 2500.

"It's time for a counterattack," Crow told me.

I nodded and drew my card. "First I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton! This allows me to draw two cards by sending one to the graveyard. And then I activate my face down, Dimension Voyage! This allows me to special summon as many of my removed from play synchro monsters as I can. So I call forth Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon!" I declared and the dragons returned. "The turn those monsters are special special summoned, their effect are negated and cannot attack but are removed from play during the end phase."

"What are you planning to do with monsters that can't attack or use their effects?" I heard Aporia wonder but ignored him.

"I switch Shooting Star Dragon to attack mode and activate Trust Chain! This allows me to increase the attack of Shooting Star Dragon by the total attack of all synchro monster I control, but prevents synchro monsters from attacking (Shooting Star Dragon: Attack 9600)," I continued.

"You've done it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Our bonds will bring us through despair," Crow added.

"No amount of despair can affect our bonds, which will carve a new future for ourselves," I told them. "Shooting Star Dragon, attack Mekanikle!"

"Have you not realized yet that true despair cannot be beaten so easily?" Aporia asked me. "I activate Banishing Climb! It removes all synchro monsters from play." A hole cracked into the sky which sucked Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon into it before it resealed itself. "And without them, your Shooting Star Dragon returns to 3300 attack."

"I activate the other effect of Trust Chain! By sending it to the graveayrd, I can end the battle phase and cancel the attack," I defended and my dragon returned to my side.

Aporia growled, "And that means Banishing Climb's effect wears off as well returning your other pathetic synchro monsters to the field." My friends' other monsters returned to the field. "End your turn quickly, Yusei. How will you deal with true despair?"

"I set a card face down and end my turn," I finished.

"I activate the effect of Mekanikle to equip itself with Red Nova Dragon and gain its attack," Aporia declared and the monster was sucked into the machine while Meklord Astro Mekanikle's attack rose to 7500. "Next I send Granel Top 5 from my hand to the graveyard so my monster can gain its effects. And its effect allows me to absorb another synchro monster, like your Black-Winged Dragon!" Mekanikle's attack sprung up to 10,300. "Watch as I change the future! The victor is already decided. With 10,300 attack, one attack from Mekanikle is enough to end it all and the new future will be realized." He grinned confidently. "So, Mekanikle, attack Shooting Star Dragon!"

"I activate the effect of Guard Master!" I played. "By removing it from my graveyard from play, I can change Shooting Star Dragon to defense mode and make it unable to be destroyed by battle." The attack is deflected from Shooting Star Dragon and hit a nearby building, damaging it.

"I activate another effect of Mekanikle! By sending a synchro monster equipped to it to the graveyard, I can inflict damage to you equal to the attack of that monster. So I send Red Nova Dragon to the graveyard (Meklord Astro Mekanikle: Attack 6800) and deal you 3500 points of damage!"

"I activate Hardship!" I defended. "This lowers the attack and defense of Shooting Star Dragon to zero, but also lowers the effect damage inflicted by Mekanikle to zero."

"Then I shall use the effect of Mekanikle again, sending Black-Winged Dragon to the graveyard this time," Aporia declared.

' _Why would he do that? Hardship will only reduce the damage again,'_ I wondered. Black-Winged Dragon was sent to the graveyard lowering Aporia's monster back to 4000 attack points. "I activate Hardship once again to prevent that damage."

Once it resolved though, Aporia called, "I activate Infinite Feast! This reequips Black-Winged Dragon and Red Nova Dragon to Mekanikle and inflicts 600 points of damage per monster to you for each time for each time Mekanikle has been equiped this turn."

"And since the two dragons were equipped during the Standby Phase and End Phase, Yusei will take 2400 points of damage," Jack calculated.

"I really wish Yusei had Black-Winged Dragon to negate that damage," Crow muttered.

"Eat this!" Aporia ordered angrily and the blast hit me hard as my life points fell to 400. I barely managed to regain control of my duel runner after the blast. "And now I gain another 600 life points." Aporia's life points returned to a full 4000. And with two synchro monsters equipped, Mekanikle was back to 10,300 attack points. "I end my turn there. Next turn will be when I settle anything.

' _With only 400 life points left, if I take anymore damage I'll lose,'_ I thought worried.

"Don't hesitate, Yusei," Jack told me. "Our bonds are not broken so easily."

"Our bonds will lead us to victory," Crow added.

I looked at my glowing mark. _'I haven't lost hope,'_ I thought. _'This last card is my find hope. My cards, please answer my call.'_ The cards glowed and I drew. "I activate the effect of Hardship, destroying it and Shooting Star Dragon."

"Why would you destroy your own monster?" Aporia asked surprised.

"Because it also destroys all equip cards on the field, including Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon," I answered and the attack of Mekanikle returned to its original 4000.

"Your field is now empty. You have no way to defeat my Meklord," Aporia told me.

"My turn isn't over. I summon Mystic Piper. And now I release it to draw a card and if that card is a monster, I can draw another," I declared and I drew Sonic Chick, allowing me to draw again saying, "In my hand lies hope. I activate my face down, Ghoul Summoner! This revives a synchro monster destroyed this turn and equips it to this card. So I summon Black-Winged Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 1600)!"

"Do you not get it? Synchro monsters are not match for Mekanikle," Aporia asked.

"I activate the other effect of Ghoul Summoner, allowing me to discard one card and revive another synchro monster and take damage equal to its attack," I played. "And I choose Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000)."

"Are you really going to take that damage?" Aporia wondered.

"Black-Winged Dragon has an effect. It gains one Black Feather Counter and loses 700 attack, but also negates the damage," Crow pointed out and Black-Winged Dragon took the damage while its attack lowered to 2100.

"And Red Nova Dragon gains 500 attack for every tuner monster in the graveyard (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 4500)," Jack added.

"I then use the effect of Ghoul Summoner again. By discarding another card, I can revive Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)," I called and Crow's dragon gained another counter while lowering to 1400 attack.

"Summoning three synchro monsters in one turn? Is this the true power of a Signer?" Aporia wondered in shock.

"The despair will be overpowered by hope," I told him. "I then activate the effect of Black-Winged Dragon! By removing the two Black Feather Counters on it, I can reduce the effect of your Meklord Astro Mekanikle by 700 for each and inflict the same damage to you." The attack of Mekanikle and Aporia's life points fell to 2600 while Black-Winged Dragon returned to a normal 2800.

"And now Black-Winged Dragon has enough attack to surpass your monster," Crow pointed out.

"Black-Winged Dragon, attack Meklord Astro Mekanikle! Noble Stream!" I ordered. Aporia's life points fell to 2400, though the opposing member used the effect of Mekanikle to remove a Meklord Emperor component in his graveyard from play, being Granel Guard, to prevent its destruction.

"Take the match, Yusei," Jack told me.

"Red Nova Dragon, attack Mekanikle as well! Burning Soul!" I ordered. Aporia's life points fell to 500, but he removed Granel Attack from play to prevent his monster's destruction.

"I… I'm going to lose!" Aporia realized in utter shock.

"Our hope has surpassed your despair," I proclaimed. "Shooting Star Dragon, finish this now! Attack with Stardust Mirage!" My dragon attacked and destroyed Mekanikle and finished off Aporia's life points.

"How could my plan fail?! It couldn't have after coming so far!" Aporia exclaimed devastated. He reached out his hand which suddenly blew up.

Jack, Crow, and I pulled over to the side of the road as Aporia's damaged runner sped past us and ramped into the water where it blew to pieces. The two Signers and aIngel demounted our runners.

"Nice win, Yusei," Jack complimented.

"The three of us did it," Yusei stated, but I knew it was far from over. Demons were still flying around trying to get humans and destroy the city. "We need to hurry back before I need to go get the demons off of this planet and back where they belong." My friends nodded and we returned to the stadium.

The twins, Bruno, and Akiza rushed over to congratulate us. They were quickly followed by Mina, Carly, and Stephanie who hurried to compliment Jack. Trudge, Team Ragnarok, and Elsworth also came and began to praise us.

"Thanks, guys," I told them. "But the world isn't safe yet." They looked to see the demons still causing a havoc.

"What are those dark things anyway?" Broder asked.

"Demons," I answered bluntly as I got off my runner and turned into my angel form. "The light ones you see are angels. I have to head out and help the others get the demons back to the Underworld."

"Yusei, let us help," Luna stated.

"No," I immediately denied. "This is an angel's fight. It's too dangerous for you guys, even if you are Signers."

"Yusei, you said that today they'll be stronger than ever. You need help," Akiza stated.

"Listen to me when I say you need to stay out of this one," I stated. "Leave this to me and the other angels." I then took off before any of them could respond.

"Yusei!" Jack called but I painfully ignored it. I couldn't let them get into this fight and get hurt. Era wouldn't forgive me and I wouldn't forgive myself.

"Is he always like that?" I heard Dragan ask my friends.

"You have no idea," Crow sighed.

I flew through the air when Brehnam came up and stood in front of me with a grin. I glared angrily, ready to fight at any moment. And I knew the final angel-demon fight between us was imminent.


	70. The End

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Chapter 70: The End

Yusei's POV

"Oh, Yusei," Brehnam greeted. I glared warningly. "A little birdy told me the curse on the Guardian Angel has activated and will kill her and the child soon."

"Era will survive. The Healer Angels will make sure of that," I retorted.

"Even though we have enough power to destroy this world and make it into the Underworld, we still don't have enough power to take over the Afterlife. Of course, you and I both know once this world falls, it is only a matter of time that the Afterlife will," Brehnam responded. "And without your precious mate, there is truly no hope in victory. We will take this planet and eventually every world."

"Angels are still around. We'll make sure you'll fail no matter what," I refused to believe.

"But how can you do that with us being more powerful than ever before? The only time we will ever be powerful unless I die. And if I die, the cycle will happen again and another Day of Darkness will arrive," Brehnam responded smugly.

"How do I take that curse off of Era?" I asked.

"Other than the Crimson Dragon doing so since he's the only one with enough power? Considering the curse is linked to me and my power, despite not being the one who cast it," he began as he inched closer and I got ready to defend myself, "if you want to destroy the curse and lift it from your precious angel, you will have to destroy me." He neared close enough so we were glaring at each other and our faces were close enough that we were breathing on each other. "Of course, do you really want to do that? Kill me and bring another Day of Darkness nine months from now just to save your mate?" I glared angrily. "Is that what Era would want?"

That made me pause for a moment as I knew she would rather die than have another day like this happen again. Of course, Brehnam didn't have a successor and they wouldn't have another chosen demon king to take over. But I didn't think that would change Era's mind at all on having another Day of Darkness. My thoughts were cut off, however, as a blast hit my chest and I flew back.

I slammed into other waiting demons who grabbed me and held me in place while Brehnam neared closer. I fought to get free and resisted the overwhelming urge to cringe and wince at the dark energy being placed on my body. But these demons obviously were too strong with this extra strength and held me in place, though I could tell they were struggling a bit.

"Ah, Yusei… You care too deeply for your mate. The very thought of her distracts you from the situation you're in," Brehnam stated. "It's too bad I wasn't able to have Era for myself." I glared angrily as he mentioned that. "Oh, well, at least you'll both perish today and fall into your death. It is only a matter of time before Era falls into a death from a curse."

That did it. "I swear, Brehnam, let me go and we'll see how strong you truly are with today being the day it is," I told him trying to control my fury. Brehnam laughed and began to fly up with a powerful spell at ready to kill me.

"Okay, that's just not fair," came May's voice. A beam of light shot the demons off of me and destroyed them while another shot Brehnam back and made him release his deadly spell before it could be used.

I turned as May came up beside me. "Thanks, May," I told her.

"No problem," she agreed.

We turned and Brehnam flew up fury on his features. "I should've known it would be this shrimp of an angel," he growled.

"Well this 'shrimp of an angel' just destroyed two powered up demons in one blast and shot you back pretty hard," May retorted. "I don't care if there's another Day of Darkness. Considering you have no leader after you, we don't have a lot to fear other than unorganized demons destroying a city or two. And unorganized demons are like a horde of flies stuck in one spot, ease to kill. So you know what…" She looked at me. "As your superior angel, I am ordering you to put this guy in his place and kill his sorry butt. I'll keep demons off you, but I know you have more scores to settle with Brehnam than I do and have enough power to take him on your own."

I nodded and turned to Brehnam with a deadly glare. "You're about to be killed here and now, Brehnam," I told him.

"I will love seeing you try before perishing," Brehnam responded. Before he could even blink, I sent a powerful ball of light at him and sent him flying. When he caught himself, I activated a invisibility spell and disappeared. "Where are you?" he growled.

I fired a blast from behind him and it hit him hard in his back, just between the wings. He twisted around towards where I was but I quickly moved. I fired another powerful ball of light and hit him way too hard for him in the chest. I noticed a bit of blood drip from the corner of his mount and his wings were beginning to seem to strain as he flapped. He was growing weak.

"Okay, arrogant angel," Brehnam growled angrily. "Play time's over." He sent a strong, dark energized wind out making it difficult for me to stay in the air.

Eventually, the wind forced me into a building hard and my invisibility spell broke. I shook my head and narrowly dodged a ball of dark energy that I knew it was powerful enough to kill me if it hit. Brehnam rammed into me and held me for a moment before I slipped away as he slammed into a building head first, hard enough to create a dent in the building.

The demon king pulled himself out of the building dazed and a bit out of it with a bit of blood dripping down the side of his head from his temple. I smirked a bit as I noticed how weak he was, even with the extra power given to him by the Day of Darkness.

"How does it feel to be so weak? Despite being on the day where you're given more power that you will ever have?" I asked him.

"I. Am. Not. Weak!" he exclaimed and threw a ball of energy in me. I could sense the power in it and it wasn't as strong as I would've expected, but it could definitely deal some heavy damage if I took it.

I moved to dodge the ball when I noticed it following me like a homing missile. _'You have got to be kidding me,'_ I thought worried.

That's when Brehnam grabbed me and pulled me to a stop while the ball of dark energy hit me in the ball. I could feel my Spell Energy being sapped for a few moments before it stopped, but enough of my Spell Energy was taken to prohibit me from using any spells that would allow me to defeat Brehnam.

"How does it feel to be so weak?" Brehnam asked back grabbing me angrily. He threw me hard towards a building when I felt familiar arms grab me and stop me.

I pulled myself to hover on my own and turned to see Era there. "Era, what're you doing here?" I asked noticing the curse mark was growing slightly. And that worried me.

"I can't let you die here, Yusei," she responded. "I need to end this. Once and for all."

I then realized it. "Era, don't you dare do it," I told her sternly.

"Welcome, Guardian Angel of Light," Brehnam greeted. "Come to die as a warrior rather than an ill angel."

Era glared before darting up towards the atmosphere. "Era, stop!" I called but she didn't listen and kept flying.

I tried to go after her when Brehnam grabbed me and pushed me towards a building. "We still have some unfinished business, Yusei. We're not done until one of us is dead," the demon told me as I fought to get out of his hold. All I wanted at the moment was to stop Era from doing what she was about to do.

That's when a bright light, brighter than anything known to be possible, shined from the atmosphere blinding all of us. Brehnam, already weak enough, began to dissolve from the light as he let go of me.

"So… much power," he groaned. "Even if I fall now, there are still demons left in this Underworld. This won't be the end for long."

"You won't live to see that day," I told him and fired one last powerful beam. It hit him straight in the chest, above the heart, and he dissolved into dust and died. I turned and noticed demons across New Domino dissolving from the power of the light. "Era…" I muttered before darting to head up there.

Era's POV

I got up to nearly the top of the atmosphere. My angelic abilities allowed me to breathe as easily I could at normal altitudes up here.

"I'm sorry, Yusei," I whispered before calling out on every ounce of my power.

My body began to glow the brightest its ever been as I began to release the power to kill every demon in the world, including Brehnam with its energy. I could feel each demon as they faded to dust and disappeared to oblivion.

Once they were all gone, I called all that power back around me alone before focusing it towards the Stars of Darkness which has Brehnam's star there as well.

"This ends now!" I exclaimed and releasing the energy at the stars. The energy pierced right through and they each exploded and faded away into fragments before disappearing completely.

I began to wobble a bit in the air feeling weaker than anything before and closed my eyes weakly. I was about to fall when arms I knew like they were my own grabbed me and held me close to their owner.

I opened my eyes and looked at the face of the person holding me. "Yusei?" he greeted.

"Era, please," he whispered, "stay with me. Don't make me lose you." I could see tears bridging his eyes.

"I… had to make sure Brehnam couldn't kill you and the Day of Darkness never happened again," I whispered to him.

"And you did that. But you don't have to die like this," he told me. "Era, please, I need you here with me. More than anyone else, I need _you_. So don't die on me. Don't make me lose the one person I need."

"Seika needs you now," I responded. "Take care of her, okay?"

"Era, listen to me," he called and I felt him try to give me some of his Spell Energy. But it wasn't enough since he was still weak from his fight with Brehnam. I began to see a bit of light in my vision. "Era, listen to me, stay with me. Don't give up now."

"I'm sorry…" I whispered before light took my vision.

Third Person POV

Yusei watched in pure horror as Era's eyes drifted closed and he felt her go a bit limp. "Era! Era, please, come back to me!" he called trying to keep his tears in and out of sight. "Please, Era. You can't leave me like this. Please, Era…" He couldn't help it anymore as tears fell down his face.


	71. Epilogue

**A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!**

Epilogue

1 Year Later…

Yusei watched as his daughter waddled around his apartment. She had his cobalt blue eyes and his mate's brown, white tipped hair. When the others found out about Seika, they were a bit shocked but found the young angel a bit cute and were happy for Yusei.

Yusei turned as someone walked through the door. He smiled. "Where have you been?" he asked as he looked at Era happily.

"Checking around for demons," she answered.

"Era, you're still recovering after destroying the Stars of Darkness and almost all of the demon species," Yusei told her as she sat beside him. "You know I don't like you going after demons without me at the moment."

"Like you ever did before," Era retorted and they turned as Seika clumsily walked towards Era. As she was about to reach, the young angel nearly fell, but Era thankfully caught her. "Miss me, Seika?" The baby laughed happily and the two angel parents smiled.

Seika was quite smart for a girl her age, but still had a lot to learn. On her back were two little wings that had been slowly growing but were far from being ready to fly. The only feathers they had so far were little, fluffy downy feathers.

Yusei looked at Era for a moment as she watched Seika. He had debated telling her how she survived. He knew he should, but he didn't want to bring her down due to the deal he made. The deal… It felt like he made it so long ago. But in truth, it was only a year.

 **-Flashback-**

Yusei watched in pure horror as Era's eyes drifted closed and he felt her go a bit limp. "Era! Era, please, come back to me!" he called trying to keep his tears in and out of sight. "Please, Era. You can't leave me like this. Please, Era…" He couldn't help it anymore as tears fell down his face.

Suddenly, a mighty roar cried out as the full Mark of the Crimson Dragon formed on his back. Yusei immediately wiped his tears away and bowed his head as the Crimson Dragon came in front of him.

"Yusei, do you want her to live?" the mighty dragon god asked.

"Of course," Yusei immediately answered. "I need her to live and stay with me."

"She has not disappeared and faded yet, meaning she is hanging on," Crimson Dragon stated. "She is hanging on for you." That shocked the angel a bit. "I can save her. However, in order to do so, I must give her my entire power and heart. But that means, if I ever need it back, she will die as the very last thing holding her to this world and keeping her alive is taken away as well."

' _That…'_ Yusei's thoughts trailed off.

"Keep in mind, there is very little chance I will need my power and heart back anytime soon. It may be many millennia before I need my power and heart back meaning she could eventually live until a demon kills her. But would you want her to continue to live a life of fighting for the world and her life? You must decide now, Yusei. There is no telling how much longer she'll be able to hold on," Crimson Dragon. Yusei looked down silent, more than anything he wanted to keep her with him, and he knew Era would want to stay with him and Seika. If she didn't, she wouldn't be hanging on like this. "I will offer you a deal, Yusei." The angel looked at him with full attention. "I will save your mate and vow to never call my power and heart back unless a danger like today or when the Earthbound Immortals rose again happens. In exchange, you must promise to keep an eye on Era and your daughter. To protect them with your life if necessary. No matter if Era tries to take your place in giving her life like today, promise argue and fight her until she steps back and lets you do your job. I need you to promise to be willing to give your life for Era and Seika; and then I will save her and make my vow."

"I will always be ready to give my life for Era. That's something that has never and will never change," Yusei responded. "So I accept your deal and will keep my promise until I die as long as you keep yours."

"Very well, Yusei," Crimson Dragon agreed. He sent a light out and it landed into Era's chest where her heart was. She gave a bright, red glow for a moment before it dimmed. "She will live, Yusei. I expect you to protect your family well." The angel nodded and the dragon god took off.

Yusei looked at Era who was still asleep, though he felt her Spell Energy was back to its max meaning she would live and the curse mark was gone as well. He sighed in relief before heading back to the others, holding her close to him.

 **-Flashback Ended-**

Yusei turned back to watching Seika as a small ball of light appeared out of her hand. It quickly fell to the ground though and shattered into little light dust with no damage to the ground. So it was obvious despite somehow being able to use spells when she couldn't even speak, Seika was still too weak in spell energy to do much damage.

"You know I'm kind of happy this happened," Era stated.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"That we had Seika and we got to be a family like this," the senior female angel explained. "It… It makes everything feel like I belong in the human world. More than I've ever felt. I started to feel it when I met you and it slowly increased in time. And now…"

Yusei grinned and nodded. "Now everything feels like peace is finally taking place in this world," he stated. Era nodded. "And we'll make sure it stays like this." He placed a hand on hers. "Together."

"Together," she agreed, placing her other hand on his. Suddenly, Seika's hand was placed on theirs and they smiled at the toddler.

' _This is the peace we've strived for,'_ Yusei thought. _'So we'll keep this peace. And I'll make sure Era and Seika live longer than me, until I die protecting them. I promise, you two, I will protect you no matter what it takes.'_

 **Yep, that's the end of The Angel! Expect to see some prequels from Yugi Muto's series and Jaden Yuki's series and there will be a crossover sequel coming soon… hopefully. It will be relatively short, but… yeah.**

 **I hope you liked this story and let me know what you thought through PMs and reviews. I want to hear your feedback and I'll try to respond the best I can if you have any questions or anything like that.**

 **I appreciate all of you who read and supported this story, and I appreciate the reviews and PMs left to tell me what I was doing right and wrong. I appreciate all of you equally, though!**

 **I hope to see you in others stories and everything!**

 **-bricann**


End file.
